For a few weeks, Chatgpt offered a rather discreet sharing option, but with great problematic potential. By clicking on the “Share” button, users could generate a public link to a conversation with the chatbot, to the address https://chatgpt.com/share. And, by activating an additional option, this link became indexable by search engines.
The sharing button that said too much
On paper, the function had a commendable intention: allow everyone to easily find useful answers via Google or Bing. But in practice, some users shared much more personal content than they imagined.
Examples found in search results show harmless discussions – DIY advice or cooking recipes – but also much more delicate exchanges. One of them contains a CV rewriting so detailed that it was easy to find the LinkedIn profile of the author. Others include embarrassing, even eccentric requests, such as an exchange around the idea of operating a microwave ” without invoking Satan »…
« Conversations with chatgpt are never public by default “Specifies an Openai spokesperson. But this experiment has shown that some users did not understand the scope of the option. And once the link is shared and indexed, it became difficult to backtrack.
Aware of the risk, Openai quickly ended the experiment. Dane Stuckey, information systems security manager, confirmed that the function has been deactivated: “ It was a short -lived experience aimed at helping people discover useful exchanges “, He said, while recognizing that it” exposed users to too many risks of involuntary sharing of sensitive content ».
The company is now working to make the links already indexed disappear. A process of deleting content has been launched with search engines and had to be effective. OPENAI insists that personal information, such as the user’s name or messages added after sharing, was not made public. But the conversations themselves could sometimes say long.
This function now put in the rebuilding says something generative AI: even when the settings are clear, the consequences of content sharing can escape the user. And on the web where search engines aspire everything they find, sometimes two clicks are enough to make a private message a little too public.
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