Don't Trust AI to Keep Your Secrets
Computerworld, Friday, October 30th, 2026
Computerworld warns that chatbot conversations are not private, citing Character.AI's bankruptcy sale and what could happen to user data.
A survey commissioned by DuckDuckGo of 1,944 US adults found 53% did not know chatbot conversations may be used for training, and only a quarter knew they can be subpoenaed.
Among self-described AI enthusiasts, 56% had confided something to a chatbot they had never told a person.
Character.AI filed for bankruptcy earlier this month and opened a court-supervised asset sale, and its vague privacy policy says it may disclose certain information in a sale.
The US Trustee Office wants a consumer privacy ombudsman appointed, and the article notes a company can sell user data if its privacy policy permits.