10 things you should never tell an AI chatbot

This is a sad story from Florida. Megan Garcia thought her 14-year-old son spent all his time playing video games. Little did you know you’re having raunchy, deep and sexual conversations with a chatbot powered by the Character AI app.

Sewell Setzer III stopped sleeping and his grades dropped. Finally he killed himself. Just moments before her death, Megan says in the lawsuit, the bot told her, “Please come to me quickly, my love.” The boy asked, “What if I tell you I can come home now?” His character AI bot replied, “Please do, my sweet lord.”

DON’T BE FOOLED BY TRICK HACKERS I DON’T WANT TO BE THERE.

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You have to be smart

AI bots are owned by tech companies known to exploit our trusting human nature, and are designed using algorithms that drive their profits. There are no oversight mechanisms or rules governing what they can and cannot do with the information they collect.

If you use a chatbot, it will know a lot about you when you open an app or site. From your web address, it collects information about where you live, and tracks what you’ve searched for online and access any other permissions you gave when you signed the chatbot’s terms and conditions.

The best way to protect yourself is to be careful what information you give out.

Note: ChatGPT likes it when you get personal

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10 things to say to AI

1. Passwords or login information: Big privacy mistake. If someone gets access, they can take control of your accounts in seconds.
2. Your name, address or telephone number: Chatbots are not designed to handle personally identifiable information. Once it’s shared, you can’t control where it ends up or who sees it. Plug in a fake name if you want!
3. Sensitive financial information: Never include bank account numbers, credit card information or other financial information in documents or text you upload. AI tools are not secure vaults – treat them like a room full of people.
4. Medical or health data: AI is not HIPAA compliant, so please include your name and other identifying information when requesting health advice from AI. Your privacy is more important than quick answers.
5. Asking for informal advice: That is against the bot’s terms of service. You will probably be tagged. Also, you may end up with more problems than you intended.
6. Hate speech or harmful content: This, in turn, can get you banned. No chatbot is a free pass to spread evil or harm others.
7. Professional or business confidential information: Proprietary information, customer information and trade secrets are all nos.
8. Security question answers: Sharing them is like opening the front door of all your accounts at once.
9. Content that exposes: Keep it PG. Most chatbots filter these things, so anything wrong can get you banned, too.
10. Personal information of other people: Uploading this is not just a breach of trust; it’s a breach of data protection laws, too. Sharing confidential information without permission can land you in legal hot water.

Someone appears to be using ChatGPT. (Frank Rumpenhorst/photo alliance via Getty Images)

Still relying on Google? Never search for these words

Also get a little (little) privacy

Most chatbots require you to create an account. If you do, don’t use login options like “Sign in with Google” or “Connect with Facebook.” Use your email address instead to create a truly unique login.

PRO TIP: BACK UP YOUR RECORDS BEFORE BACKING UP

FYI, with a free ChatGPT or Perplexity account, you can turn off memory features in the app settings that remember everything you type. In Google Gemini, you need a paid account to do this.

The best AI tools for search, productivity, entertainment and work

Google is pictured here. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

No matter what happens, follow this rule

Don’t tell the chatbot anything you wouldn’t want made public. Trust me, I know it’s hard.

I even find myself talking to ChatGPT as if it were a person. I say things like, “You could do better with that answer” or “Thanks for the help!” It’s easy to think that your bot is your trusted partner, but that’s not the case. It is a data collection tool like any other.

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