Altman warns: ChatGPT conversations not protected by Law

By Isaac Joseph Inyang

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has issued a strong warning to users of ChatGPT, cautioning that conversations held with the AI chatbot, especially those involving personal, emotional, or sensitive matters are not legally protected and could be disclosed in legal proceedings.

Altman made this statement during an interview on This Past Weekend, a podcast hosted by American comedian Theo Von. He pointed out a growing trend in how people use ChatGPT, particularly young users who increasingly turn to the AI tool for support, advice, or as a form of therapy. Despite its accessibility and conversational tone, Altman noted that ChatGPT is not bound by the same confidentiality laws that protect human professionals like doctors, therapists, or lawyers.

“People talk about the most personal issues in their lives to ChatGPT,” he said. “And right now, if you talk to a therapist or a lawyer or a doctor about those problems, there’s legal privilege for it, we haven’t figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT.”

His warning follows a recent U.S. court order requiring OpenAI to retain all user conversations, including those that users have deleted. The directive was issued as part of an ongoing copyright lawsuit filed by The New York Times against OpenAI and Microsoft in 2023. The lawsuit alleges that millions of articles were used without permission to train ChatGPT. The court order, issued on May 13, 2025, suspends OpenAI’s usual 30-day deletion policy and mandates indefinite data retention for all ChatGPT interactions not covered by Zero Data Retention agreements.

According to Altman, this legal mandate forces OpenAI to hold onto private user content that would typically be erased, creating a troubling situation for both the company and its users. “It’s very screwed up that we have to produce those [conversations] in a lawsuit,” he said. The data, although stored under legal hold and accessible only to a restricted and audited legal team, remains subject to potential court disclosure, raising widespread concerns about privacy and data protection.

Altman also used the moment to urge for the creation of new privacy frameworks that reflect the evolving use of artificial intelligence in daily life. He proposed that AI-facilitated conversations, especially those that serve therapeutic or advisory roles, should be granted a form of legal privilege that protects the confidentiality of the user. This proposal, referred to in tech circles as “AI privilege,” is now gaining attention among policymakers and legal experts.

While OpenAI continues to appeal the court order and emphasizes its commitment to user privacy, Altman’s remarks have sparked fresh conversations across digital platforms. Many users, unaware that their deleted chats could still exist under legal hold, have expressed concern. Others, particularly within privacy advocacy communities, have renewed calls for legislation that would align AI data handling with ethical standards observed in other professional fields.

Despite the attention this warning has drawn, Altman acknowledged the limitations of the current legal and technological landscape. Until comprehensive privacy protections are enacted, he advised users to exercise discretion when using ChatGPT for deeply personal matters. “There’s still a lot we need to figure out,” he said, reiterating that AI tools, no matter how helpful or human-like, do not yet guarantee the legal confidentiality many users assume they do.

For now, ChatGPT remains a widely used tool for learning, productivity, and conversation. But Altman’s warning signals a growing urgency to address privacy loopholes before artificial intelligence becomes further embedded in users’ private lives without adequate legal safeguards.