The Deep View: Sam Altman just told you to stop telling ChatGPT your secrets

Posted on July 28, 2025 by michelleclarke2015
PRIVACY
Sam Altman just told you to stop telling ChatGPT your secrets
Your digital therapist just became a potential witness.
Sam Altman issued a stark warning last week about those heart-to-heart conversations you’re having with ChatGPT. They aren’t protected by the same confidentiality laws that shield your talks with human therapists, lawyers or doctors. And thanks to a court order in The New York Times lawsuit, they might not stay private either.
“People talk about the most personal sh** in their lives to ChatGPT,” Altman said on This Past Weekend with Theo Von. “People use it — young people, especially, use it — as a therapist, a life coach; having these relationship problems and [asking] ‘what should I do?’ And right now, if you talk to a therapist or a lawyer or a doctor about those problems, there’s doctor-patient confidentiality, there’s legal confidentiality, whatever. And we haven’t figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT.”
OpenAI is currently fighting a court order that requires it to preserve all ChatGPT user logs indefinitely — including deleted conversations — as part of The New York Times’ copyright lawsuit against the company.
The court order affects ChatGPT Free, Plus, Pro and Teams users. Even “temporary chat” mode conversations are being preserved. Deleted chats that normally disappear after 30 days are now stored separately for potential legal review
This hits particularly hard for teenagers, who increasingly turn to AI chatbots for mental health support when traditional therapy feels inaccessible or stigmatized. You confide in ChatGPT about mental health struggles, relationship problems or personal crises. Later, you’re involved in any legal proceeding like divorce, custody battle, or employment dispute, and those conversations could potentially be subpoenaed.
ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu customers aren’t affected by the court order, creating a two-tier privacy system where business users get protection while consumers don’t. Until there’s an “AI privilege” equivalent to professional-client confidentiality, treat your AI conversations like public statements.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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