This is a heartbreaking story coming from Florida. Megan Garcia thought her 14-year-old son spent all his time playing video games. She didn’t know he was having abusive, in-depth, sexual conversations with a chatbot powered by the Character AI app.
Sewell Setzer III stopped sleeping and his grades plummeted. He ultimately committed suicide. Just seconds before her death, Megan said in a lawsuit that the robot told her, “Please come back to me as soon as possible, my love.” The boy asked, “What if I told you I can go home now?” » His Character AI robot responded, “Please do it, my sweet king.”
You have to be smart
AI bots are owned by tech companies known for exploiting our trusting human nature, and they are designed using algorithms that drive their profits. There are no barriers or laws governing what they can and cannot do with the information they collect.
When you use a chatbot, it will know a lot about you when you launch the app or site. From your IP address, it collects information about where you live, tracks what you searched for online, and accesses any other permissions you granted when you signed the chatbot’s terms and conditions.
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The best way to protect yourself is to be careful about the information you offer.
Warning: ChatGPT loves it when you get personal
10 things not to say to AI
- Passwords or login credentials: A major privacy mistake. If someone gains access, they can take control of your accounts in seconds.
- Your name, address or telephone number: Chatbots are not designed to handle personally identifiable information. Once shared, you can’t control where it ends up or who sees it. Plug in a fake name if you want!
- Sensitive financial information: Never include bank account numbers, credit card details or other financial matters in documents or text you upload. AI tools are not secure vaults: treat them like a crowded room.
- Medical or health data: AI does not comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, so remove your name and other identifying information if you ask AI for health care advice. Your privacy is worth more than quick answers.
- Asking for illegal advice: This goes against each bot’s terms of service. You will probably be reported. Plus, you might end up with more problems than you expected.
- Hate speech or harmful content: This too can get you banned. No chatbot is a free pass to spread negativity or harm others.
- Confidential business or professional information: Proprietary data, customer details and trade secrets are all prohibited.
- Answers to security questions: Sharing them is like opening the front door to all your accounts at once.
- Explicit content: Keep it PG. Most chatbots filter these items, so anything inappropriate could also get you banned.
- Personal information of other people: Downloading this is not only a breach of trust; it is also a violation of data protection laws. Sharing private information without permission could put you in a difficult situation.
Do you still rely on Google?Never search for these terms
Reclaim a (tiny) bit of privacy
Most chatbots require you to create an account. If you create one, don’t use sign-in options like “Sign in with Google” or “Sign in with Facebook.” Instead, use your email address to create a truly unique connection.
FYI, with a free ChatGPT or Perplexity account, you can turn off memory features in the app settings that remember everything you type. For Google Gemini, you need a paid account to do this.
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Either way, follow this rule
Don’t say anything to a chatbot that you wouldn’t want to make public. Believe me, I know it’s difficult.
Even I find myself talking to ChatGPT like it’s a person. I say things like “You can do better with this answer” or “Thanks for the help!” » It’s easy to think that your bot is a trusted ally, but that’s definitely not the case. It’s a data collection tool like any other.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Discover all the latest technologies on the Kim Komando showthe nation’s largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and gives advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacking. For his daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit his website.
