GoKawiilPrivate search company DuckDuckGo has released a new survey highlighting just how much personal information people are sharing with AI chatbots, and how little many understand about what happens to those conversations. Here are the details.
Survey shows AI users are sharing more than they realize
In a survey published today, DuckDuckGo highlights several privacy-related aspects around how people use AI chatbots, including the fact that nearly one in three users have told an AI something they would not tell friends, family, colleagues, or medical professionals. Among self-described AI enthusiasts, that figure rises to 56%.
Here’s DuckDuckGo:
For many people, AI chatbots serve as a judgement-free space to share things they won’t tell anyone else. While a typical web search might be a few words, AI chat invites longer, more personal input. Search queries reveal interests, but AI conversations have the potential to reveal thought processes, communication styles, and more.
The company says that among the nearly 2,000 U.S. adults who responded to the survey, 53% did not know or were unsure that most chatbots use conversations for training by default, while just 25% knew that AI chats can be subpoenaed by law enforcement.
Once people know it’s happening, 58% of people are uncomfortable with how their conversations are being used to train AI. (30% specify “very uncomfortable.”)
The results also show a significant behavioral divide between parents and non-parents, with parents or guardians with children in the household confiding in AI almost twice as much as non-parents. DuckDuckGo says that “among parents who use AI, 43% have told an AI something they’ve never shared with another person,” while “that number drops to 25% for AI users with no children at home.”
DuckDuckGo argues that AI companies have leaned into this behavior by encouraging users to treat chatbots as confidants in advertising campaigns and media appearances, even though those conversations may not be as private as users are led to believe.
When it comes to trust, the survey found that people have slightly more confidence in large AI companies than in the U.S. government to protect their data. However, skepticism remains high toward both: 39% said they have no trust at all in large AI companies, compared with 48% who said the same of the government.
... continue reading