Is chatgpt safe?

I was googling my last name and found some cool stuff I didn't know about it. Then I googled my moms. And I showed it to her and she got a bit upset and said you shouldnt be using chatgpt for that kinda stuff because it sells and stores your data. She has never used the website. She has just read stuff.

Idk. Its not like I give out anything important like financial stuff. Its just last names and the school I went to in high school.

I'm not clear whether you're talking about Google and searching using a typical search engine, or were you using ChatGPT on the OpenAI website?

In any case, both utilize publicly available information and databases to form their responses. Searching on a search engine or querying ChatGPT doesn't give them additional information, as that's not how either of these technically work. The querying engine and chatbot are completely separate from the data collection side of the programming.

Having said that, both search engines and AI chatbots use queries to help inform their future data collection of publicly available information. They can use this data as signals, not directly. So if a billion people start asking about "Justin Bieber," both kinds of systems will note that and start looking for more public sources to better help answer people's specific questions about him. (How AI actually works is far, far more complex because it doesn't really understand "information," just word association probabilities, and so this is a greatly simplified version.)

TLDR: Search engines and chatbots don't care what you query and don't use any information you share in a query to then directly insert into their databases.

I just asked it and it says it's safe: Yes, ChatGPT is designed to be safe to use! However, like any technology, its safety depends on how it's used and the context in which it's deployed. Here's a breakdown of some factors that contribute to its safety:

1. Privacy and Security

• No personal data collection: I don't have access to any personal data unless you share it with me during the conversation. I don’t store past conversations, and I don’t remember anything once the chat ends.
• Data Encryption: OpenAI takes steps to secure your data, and communications with me are encrypted to protect your privacy.

2. Content Moderation

• Safe Conversations: I’m programmed to avoid generating harmful or unsafe content. This includes steering clear of things like hate speech, misinformation, and inappropriate language.
• Contextual Understanding: I aim to provide accurate and relevant information, but there are always limitations. For example, I may not be up to date on the very latest news and could miss some nuance in certain situations.

3. Limitations and Risks

• Unintended Advice: I try to provide helpful guidance, but I can’t replace professional advice, especially in fields like healthcare, legal matters, or financial planning.
• Over-reliance on AI: Relying too heavily on AI for critical decisions can be risky because I don’t have human judgment. Always cross-check important info with trusted sources or professionals.

In short, ChatGPT is generally safe, but like any tool, you should use it thoughtfully. Would you like more details on any specific aspect of safety?