OpenAI has disabled a feature that allowed shared conversations from its ChatGPT service to appear in public search engines, the company said, a reversal that follows reports of sensitive user data becoming discoverable online.
The artificial intelligence firm confirmed it has removed an opt-in setting that made shared chat links indexable by services like Google. OpenAI is also collaborating with search engines to remove previously indexed conversations from public view.
The feature, introduced earlier this year as a "short-lived experiment," raised significant privacy concerns after an investigation by Fast Company uncovered more than 4,500 publicly accessible links to ChatGPT conversations. The exposed chats included a wide range of sensitive content, such as personally identifiable information, confidential business strategies, personal reflections, and detailed resumes.
In a statement, the San Francisco-based company acknowledged the potential for accidental data exposure.
"Ultimately we think this feature introduced too many opportunities for folks to accidentally share things they didn’t intend to, so we’re removing the option," an OpenAI spokesperson said. "Security and privacy are paramount for us, and we’ll keep working to maximally reflect that in our products and features."
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The system was designed to be opt-in. When a user chose to share a conversation, they were provided a private link. A separate, secondary action was required via a checkbox to make that conversation "discoverable" by search engines. OpenAI’s stated goal was to "help people discover useful conversations," effectively creating a public repository of AI-generated content.
However, the implementation drew criticism for not adequately conveying the risks associated with public indexing.
OpenAI is now working to scrub the indexed content. The company cautioned that due to the nature of search engine caching, some links may remain temporarily accessible even after the de-indexing process begins.
The incident highlights a persistent challenge in the generative AI sector: balancing rapid innovation and feature deployment with the critical need for user data protection. It also serves as a reminder that content entered into AI models can become public through various channels, including sharing features and data logging for model training purposes.
Crucially, OpenAI clarified that deleting a conversation from a user's personal chat history did not automatically retract the publicly shared link or remove it from search engine indexes, a detail that may not have been clear to all users. The company has now eliminated the discoverability toggle entirely, and all new shared links will be unlisted by default.
The system was designed to be opt-in. When a user chose to share a conversation, they were provided a private link. A separate, secondary action was required via a checkbox to make that conversation "discoverable" by search engines. OpenAI’s stated goal was to "help people discover useful conversations," effectively creating a public repository of AI-generated content.
However, the implementation drew criticism for not adequately conveying the risks associated with public indexing.
OpenAI is now working to scrub the indexed content. The company cautioned that due to the nature of search engine caching, some links may remain temporarily accessible even after the de-indexing process begins.
The incident highlights a persistent challenge in the generative AI sector: balancing rapid innovation and feature deployment with the critical need for user data protection. It also serves as a reminder that content entered into AI models can become public through various channels, including sharing features and data logging for model training purposes.
Crucially, OpenAI clarified that deleting a conversation from a user's personal chat history did not automatically retract the publicly shared link or remove it from search engine indexes, a detail that may not have been clear to all users. The company has now eliminated the discoverability toggle entirely, and all new shared links will be unlisted by default.
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