ChatGPT has become a reflex for millions of Internet users. Ask a question, request a summary, generate a text: in a few seconds, the tool provides a structured and often very convincing response. But behind this apparent efficiency lies a more complex reality. What you entrust to it is not always without consequences. Identity, health, banking information, professional documents… As the Wall Street Journal points out, certain data, seemingly innocuous, should never pass through an artificial intelligence interface, no matter how powerful it may be.
Key points:
- Never share logins, passwords, or banking information in ChatGPT.
- Medical results and health data must remain confidential.
- Specific personal information may be sufficient to identify you.
- Internal company documents are not protected in this interface.
- ChatGPT is not suitable for personal or psychological confidences.
1. Never share your usernames or passwords
This is one of the most dangerous things you can do: enter a password, login code, or API key as if you were talking to technical support. ChatGPT is not a secure service, and this type of information should never be received.
The data you share may be used for model training, or read by human teams for audits. Even with privacy options enabled, no processing is guaranteed to be completely confidential.
2. Never share your banking information
Whether it’s a card number, a bank account number, or a security code, these data have no place in a conversation with artificial intelligence. The model doesn’t encrypt exchanges end-to-end and doesn’t comply with current standards for financial data security.
Even if the request seems innocuous—“can you proofread this email to my bank?”—it may expose sensitive information. It is recommended to treat this interface as a public space .
3. Do not enter your medical results
AI may be tempting for getting a quick opinion on a blood test or understanding complex medical terms. But it is in no way a substitute for a healthcare professional. It has no knowledge of your medical history or personal circumstances, and cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.
Beyond the ethical aspect, sharing health data is particularly sensitive in terms of legislation. This information falls under the scope of sensitive data according to the GDPR, and transmitting it to a general-purpose AI poses a real compliance problem.
4. Do not share specific personal information
Name, first name, address, phone number, name of a relative: these are all details that, when combined, can identify an individual. Even though the tool doesn’t retain any memory between sessions, what you type can be used to train future versions of the model.
Caution is advised, especially in the context of frequent or prolonged conversations. Each detail may seem trivial in isolation but becomes significant in a larger context. The basic rule, therefore, is not to share any information such as social security numbers, identity cards, or passports.
5. Avoid submitting internal data to your company
Many users integrate ChatGPT into their professional environment: writing notes, summarizing meetings, preparing presentations, etc. But by sharing internal documents, they sometimes expose confidential information without realizing it.
Business objectives, contracts, human resources, strategic roadmaps… These elements should never be communicated via a public interface. There is no confidentiality agreement between your company and the AI publisher.
6. Do not share your intimate thoughts or sensitive personal situations.
Some users spontaneously share very personal information: emotional turmoil, painful family episodes, psychological suffering. But the tool wasn’t designed to handle this type of content. It has no clinical expertise, and the responses provided may be inappropriate, even dangerous.
Although the conversation may seem reassuring, it relies solely on statistical predictions. In times of need, a human interlocutor remains the only relevant response.
A useful tool, but precautions must be taken
ChatGPT has become a daily assistant for many users. But this ease of use can also mask very real risks. The tool is neither confidential, nor medical, nor professional in the legal sense of the term.
Before sending sensitive information, ask yourself a simple question: would you allow this data to be read by a third party? If the answer is no, refrain. Artificial intelligence, despite its apparent neutrality, guarantees neither confidentiality nor forgetting.
