OpenAI’s ChatGPT announces new plan, introduces incognito mode to address privacy concerns

OpenAI has announced new features for its popular chatbot, ChatGPT, aimed at addressing growing concerns over user privacy. The San Francisco-based startup is introducing an "incognito mode" for the chatbot that will not store user conversation history or use it to improve artificial intelligence. Additionally, OpenAI is launching a "ChatGPT Business" subscription that offers increased data controls.

The move comes amidst heightened scrutiny over how chatbots like ChatGPT manage users' data, which is often used to "train" AI. Last month, Italy banned ChatGPT for potential privacy violations and called on OpenAI to provide consumers with tools to object to data processing. France and Spain also began investigating the service.

OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, told Reuters that the company is compliant with European privacy law and is working to assure regulators. She added that the new features were not developed in response to the Italy ban, but rather a months-long effort to prioritise user privacy.

Users now have the ability to turn off "Chat History & Training" in their settings and export their data, thanks to the new features. Nonetheless, OpenAI will still keep the conversations for a period of 30 days in order to detect any potential misuse, after which they will be permanently erased. The upcoming "ChatGPT Business" subscription will also not use conversations for AI model training by default.

Nicholas Turley, OpenAI's Product Officer, compared the new incognito mode to an internet browser's private browsing feature. He said that the company is committed to putting users "in the driver's seat" regarding data collection. User information has helped OpenAI improve its software and reduce political bias, among other issues, but Murati acknowledged that the company still faces challenges.

ChatGPT is already available to businesses through Microsoft, which has made an investment in OpenAI. Murati believes that the new business subscription will appeal to the cloud provider's existing customers. OpenAI's goal is to create AI models that are "super aligned" with users' preferences while prioritising their privacy.

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