OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has expressed serious concerns about the absence of legal protections when users share personal information with AI systems. With the rising trend of young people turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini for personal, legal, and emotional advice, Altman warned that current laws do not guarantee the same level of confidentiality users would receive when speaking to professionals like therapists or lawyers.
In a recent podcast conversation with comedian Theo Von, Altman addressed the growing reliance on AI as a trusted confidant. “People talk about the most personal shit in their lives to ChatGPT… young people especially use it as a therapist, a life coach, having these relationship problems, what should I do?” he said, highlighting the deeply sensitive nature of many user interactions.
Altman emphasized that while conversations with doctors, lawyers, and therapists are legally protected under confidentiality and privilege laws, the same does not apply to AI systems. “And we don’t—we haven’t figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT. So, if you go talk to ChatGPT about your most sensitive stuff and then there’s like a lawsuit or whatever, like we could be required to produce that. And I think that’s very screwed up,” he explained. “I think we should have like the same concept of privacy for your conversations with AI that we do with a therapist or whatever.”
He stressed the urgency of establishing a legal or policy framework to address this gap, noting that conversations with AI systems could potentially be accessed in legal proceedings unless protections are clearly defined.
Altman further revealed that lawmakers he has engaged with recognize the issue and agree on the need for action. “I think we need this point addressed with some urgency. Um and you know the policy makers I’ve talked to about it like broadly agree it’s just—it’s new and now we got to do it quickly,” he added.
As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, Altman’s remarks highlight a critical need for updated privacy laws that reflect how deeply users are beginning to rely on generative AI for personal and confidential support.
