Latest news with #ChatGPTapp
Time of India
01-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
OpenAI rolls back new ChatGPT feature just hours after launch, top exec says: We removed a feature from ChatGPT app that allowed users to ...
OpenAI has removed its newly introduced feature from its popular chatbot ChatGPT app within hours of its launch. OpenAI decided to remove the feature after receiving backlash over potential privacy risk. The newly launched feature enabled users to search the web directly from within ChatGPT, but soon concerns around it surfaced online as the feature could inadvertently expose sensitive information to search engines. As reported by Business Insider, the new feature was intended to provide a more seamless way for users to integrate real-time web information into their conversations with ChatGPT. However, a wave of social media posts from users and privacy advocates highlighted that the feature's implementation could inadvertently expose user queries or data to third-party search engines without their consent. OpenAI rolls back new ChatGPT feature over privacy concerns We just removed a feature from @ChatGPTapp that allowed users to make their conversations discoverable by search engines, such as Google," Dane Stuckey , OpenAI's chief information security officer. The feature was designed to enhance ChatGPT's utility by integrating real-time search capabilities, but critics warned that it might leak user queries or personal data to external platforms without adequate safeguards. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When Knee Pain Hits, Start Eating These Foods, and Feel Your Pain Go Away (It's Genius) Undo Describing it as a short-lived experiment, Stuckey said that the opt-in feature was designed to help people discover some helpful conversations. However, the company removed it because of security and privacy concerns . Read OpenAI's chief information security officer Dane Stuckey's complete post here We just removed a feature from @ChatGPTapp that allowed users to make their conversations discoverable by search engines, such as Google. This was a short-lived experiment to help people discover useful conversations. This feature required users to opt-in, first by picking a chat to share, then by clicking a checkbox for it to be shared with search engines (see below). 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. We're also working to remove indexed content from the relevant search engines. This change is rolling out to all users through tomorrow morning. Security and privacy are paramount for us, and we'll keep working to maximally reflect that in our products and features. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hans India
01-08-2025
- Hans India
OpenAI Disables ChatGPT Search Sharing Feature Amid Privacy Concerns
OpenAI has decided to permanently shut down a controversial feature that allowed users to make their ChatGPT conversations publicly searchable on platforms like Google. The move comes in response to growing concerns over privacy and the unintentional exposure of sensitive user information online. This feature, rolled out earlier in the year, was designed with the intention of letting users voluntarily share useful ChatGPT conversations on the web. It was strictly optional—users had to select a specific chat and then check a box allowing it to be indexed by search engines. However, despite this two-step opt-in process, several users inadvertently ended up sharing highly personal information. According to OpenAI's Chief Information Security Officer, Dane Stuckey, the decision to discontinue the feature was made after realizing the potential for accidental oversharing far outweighed the benefits. "We just removed a feature from @ChatGPTapp that allowed users to make their conversations discoverable by search engines, such as Google. This was a short-lived experiment to help people discover useful conversations. This feature required users to opt in, first by picking a chat to share, then by clicking a checkbox for it to be shared with search engines (see below)," Stuckey shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Although the intention behind the feature was to help users discover valuable AI-generated content and insights, it resulted in unintended consequences. A report by Fast Company highlighted that over 4,500 ChatGPT chats had become visible through Google Search. While many of these were harmless, others contained sensitive details such as real names, locations, or emotionally intimate content users had disclosed to the chatbot in confidence. Even after users deleted the shared chat or its link, those conversations could still be found through search engines until their indexes were updated—a delay that left private content exposed far longer than expected. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the issue in a recent podcast, noting the unique relationship users have with ChatGPT. He said that people often treat the AI assistant like a confidante, discussing topics they might not share even with close friends. This deep sense of trust, while validating for the platform, also made the chat-sharing feature inherently risky. The company has now removed the sharing option altogether and is actively coordinating with search engines to eliminate previously indexed chats. The update is being seen as a necessary corrective step that prioritizes user trust and privacy. The removal of the feature marks the end of what OpenAI has referred to as an "experiment" to make AI conversations discoverable on the web—a well-intentioned idea that couldn't outweigh the privacy risks in the real world.
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Business Standard
01-08-2025
- Business Standard
OpenAI removes ChatGPT share tool after privacy risks, Google indexing
OpenAI has removed a recently introduced feature in its ChatGPT product that allowed users to make specific conversations publicly searchable, citing concerns about potential inadvertent sharing of sensitive information. The feature, which was introduced as a limited experiment, enabled users to share chatbot conversations by selecting the option to 'Make this chat discoverable'. Once enabled, the chosen chat could be indexed by search engines, including Google. Although the tool required multiple opt-in steps and anonymised shared content, OpenAI acknowledged that users might unintentionally expose personal information. 'We just removed a feature from @ChatGPTapp that allowed users to make their conversations discoverable by search engines, such as Google,' Dane Stuckey, OpenAI's chief information security officer, said in a post on X on Thursday. '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.' Chats shared using ChatGPT feature appear in Google search results Concerns emerged earlier this week after Fast Company reported that conversations shared using the feature were being indexed by Google. The issue gained further attention when a newsletter writer posted on X that some shared conversations contained personal content, including discussions of mental health and workplace issues. Several users responded by highlighting examples of private exchanges that had become publicly visible. Although the feature required users to select specific chats and confirm sharing intent via a checkbox, OpenAI acknowledged the risk of users enabling the setting without fully understanding the consequences. The shared chats did not include user names or identifying details, but the content itself could reveal sensitive topics. OpenAI removes feature, delisting in progress OpenAI confirmed that the feature is being removed from all accounts and that it is working with search engines to delist any content that was indexed during the experiment. The company expects this process to be completed by Friday morning. 'Security and privacy are paramount for us,' Stuckey said. 'We'll keep working to maximally reflect that in our products and features.' The feature was originally intended to support the discovery of useful or informative chatbot interactions that might benefit a broader audience. Its removal highlights the challenges technology companies face in balancing transparency and learning opportunities with strong privacy protections, particularly as AI tools see increasing use in personal and professional contexts.
India Today
01-08-2025
- Business
- India Today
Feature, not a bug: OpenAI kills ChatGPT public chat search after users overshared weird, personal stuff
OpenAI has decided to take down a feature that allowed ChatGPT conversations to appear on Google Search, after concerns were raised over user privacy. The feature was meant to help people discover useful conversations, but it ended up creating problems as some personal chats started showing up update, rolled out earlier this year, gave users the option to share specific ChatGPT conversations in a way that made them searchable on platforms like Google. According to OpenAI, this was an opt-in feature and not turned on by default. However, many users were not fully aware that enabling this option could make their chats appear in search results, and some accidentally shared private details without realising the Chief Information Security Officer, Dane Stuckey, announced the decision to remove the feature through a post on X (formerly Twitter). He explained that while the idea was to help people access helpful public content, it also led to situations where users unknowingly shared things they didn't mean to. "We just removed a feature from @ChatGPTapp that allowed users to make their conversations discoverable by search engines, such as Google. This was a short-lived experiment to help people discover useful conversations. This feature required users to opt in, first by picking a chat to share, then by clicking a checkbox for it to be shared with search engines (see below)," Stuckey clarified that the sharing process involved selecting a chat and then ticking a box to allow it to be searchable, but even then, the risk of accidental exposure was too high. As a result, the company has now removed the option entirely and is working with search engines to take down any chats that have already been issue gained attention after it was discovered that thousands of ChatGPT conversations had become visible on Google. A report by Fast Company revealed that over 4,500 chats were publicly searchable. While many of them were general and harmless, some included personal information such as names, locations, or sensitive thoughts shared by users in made the situation more concerning was that deleting a chat or its link didn't instantly remove it from search engines. These chats could still show up online until Google and others updated their search index, which takes CEO Sam Altman also addressed the matter in a recent podcast. He pointed out that users often open up to ChatGPT and discuss private matters, trusting the AI with details they may not even share with others. This level of openness is exactly what made the sharing feature risky, despite being optional. - Ends
Mint
01-08-2025
- Mint
OpenAI kills ChatGPT feature that exposed personal chats on Google: All you need to know
OpenAI has just announced that it is killing a new feature that made ChatGPT conversations available on Google Search. The feature was rolled out quietly earlier in the year but caused much uproar recently as many private conversations started showing up on Google search results, putting the privacy and safety of users at risk. OpenAI Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Dane Stuckey, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), informed users about taking down the feature from the popular chatbot. 'We just removed a feature from @ChatGPTapp that allowed users to make their conversations discoverable by search engines, such as Google. This was a short-lived experiment to help people discover useful conversations. This feature required users to opt in, first by picking a chat to share, then by clicking a checkbox for it to be shared with search engines (see below),' Stuckey wrote. '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,' he added. Stuckey also noted that OpenAI is working with search engines to remove the already indexed content from the web. OpenAI had rolled out an update to ChatGPT that gave users the option to make their chats discoverable on search engines. While the company has clarified that this was an opt-in feature and not enabled by default, it seems that many users inadvertently clicked on this option while sharing their chats with friends or family. As OpenAI CEO Sam Altman rightly pointed out in a recent podcast, 'people talk about the most personal shit in their lives to ChatGPT.' A new report by Fast Company revealed that there were over 4,500 conversations indexed on Google. While many of them did not contain personal data, others did — including identifiable details like names, places and more — that could put users at risk. Moreover, even if a user deleted the conversation link or deleted the conversation altogether, it would not guarantee that it was no longer indexed by Google. In fact, the conversation would likely remain public until Google updates its index.
