There’s a Secret Way to Opt-Out of ChatGPT Model Training!

Apr. 3, 2024

ChatGPT is by far the most popular AI chatbot out there. For many, AI and ChatGPT have become almost synonymous. And if you are not paying attention, OpenAI uses your private chats to improve its model aka train its AI model. Indeed, OpenAI informs the user to not share sensitive information as your chats can be reviewed to train its model, but that’s onlyfor the first timewhen a new user joinsChatGPT.

Not just that, OpenAIuseshuman reviewersfrom “trusted service providers” to process your private de-identified chats, but fails to mention it on ChatGPT’s homepage. Google also employs human reviewers forGeminichats to train and improve its model, but Google clearly informs the user on the homepage.

While OpenAI offers a Data controls option in ChatGPT’s settings page to disable model training on all of your chats, thissetting alsoturns off Chat History. This functionality, where opting out of training removes access to past conversations, feels punitive and discourages users from prioritizing privacy.

Having access to your past conversations is a basic feature, and in no way, it should be tied to your privacy.Both can co-exist. And indeed, it exists.

OpenAI has aprivacy portal pagewhere you can opt out of model training and keep your Chat History intact. The hot AI startupdoesn’t promote this pageanywhere in ChatGPT’s interface. You have to open theData Controls FAQpage where it mentions you can very well disable model training, and keep your chats intact.

So I kept digging in and launched OpenAI’sprivacy portalpage where Ifiled a requestto stop training on my content. If you are already signed in with your OpenAI account, it will automatically log you in. Otherwise, you’ll have to enter the email address associated with your ChatGPT account, and OpenAI will send an email. Click on the link you receive in your email and file the request. Bothfree and ChatGPT Plus userscan file this request. Here’s what the process looks like:

Of course, the request will be applied to all future chats and not your past conversations. An active request will be created.Reload the pagein a minute or two and your request will be processed, at least it did for me. You will also receive an email stating the following:

“We successfully processed your request to not train on content provided to our consumer services. We will no longer use your content to train our models. As a reminder, this request is forward looking and does not apply to content that had previously been disassociated from your account.”

Now, you can use ChatGPT with your Chat History turned on (including Chat sharing), while not being part of model training. Thank you. I would have truly appreciated OpenAI if the company added alink to the privacy portal pageinside the Data Controls settings page so users could make informed decisions about their privacy.

This kind of dark pattern raises questions about OpenAI’s commitment to transparency, particularly when dealing with user chat history. It would bode well for the company if they walked the talk on transparency otherwise it canerode user trust.

Passionate about Windows, ChromeOS, Android, security and privacy issues. Have a penchant to solve everyday computing problems.