What Should You Never Tell ChatGPT? A Safety Guide

ChatGPT is a brilliant tool. But it's not a private conversation. The things you type into it are stored, and they could be used to train future versions of the software. That doesn't mean you shouldn't use it. It just means you should be thoughtful about what you share.

Here's a straightforward guide to what you should keep to yourself.

The Big Ones: Never Share These

Your full name combined with your address. Either one on its own isn't great, but both together? That's identity theft material. If you're asking ChatGPT to write a letter, use a placeholder like "your address here" and fill it in yourself afterwards.

Bank details. Card numbers, sort codes, account numbers, PINs. None of these should ever go into ChatGPT. There's no reason it would need them, so if you find yourself about to type them, stop and think about why.

Your NHS number or National Insurance number. These are unique to you and can be used for fraud. Keep them off any AI platform.

Passwords. This sounds obvious, but people do it. "My email password is XYZ123 and I can't log in, can you help?" Don't. ChatGPT can't access your accounts anyway, so sharing your password achieves nothing except putting it in a database somewhere.

Photos of documents. If you're using a version of ChatGPT that accepts images, don't upload photos of your passport, driving licence, bank statements, or medical letters. The information in these documents is exactly what fraudsters need.

Things That Seem Harmless But Aren't

Some information feels innocent enough but can be pieced together to build a profile of you:

• Your date of birth plus your mother's maiden name. These are common security questions. If they're both in ChatGPT's logs, that's a problem.
• Your daily routine. "I leave for the shops at 9am every Tuesday and I'm out for two hours" is useful information for the wrong person. Keep specifics vague.
• Children's or grandchildren's full names and schools. Even in casual conversation, try to use first names only and leave out the school name.
• Your exact location. "I live at 42 Willow Lane, Harrogate" is too specific. "I'm in North Yorkshire" is fine.

Why Does This Matter?

Two reasons.

First, your conversations with ChatGPT are stored by OpenAI (the company that makes it). They use this data to improve their systems. While they have security measures in place, no system is perfectly secure. Data breaches happen, even to big companies.

Second, there's a setting in ChatGPT that controls whether your conversations are used for training. You can turn this off. Go to Settings, then Data Controls, and switch off "Improve the model for everyone." This doesn't delete what you've already shared, but it stops future conversations being used.

What IS Safe to Share

Plenty of things. ChatGPT is useful precisely because you can give it context about your situation. Just keep it general rather than specific:

• "I'm retired and live in the south of England" (fine)
• "I'm 72 and interested in gardening" (fine)
• "I have a grandson who's about to start secondary school" (fine)
• "I'm looking for a recipe for a dinner party for 6 people" (fine)

The rule of thumb: share enough context to get a useful answer, but nothing that could identify you specifically or compromise your security.

What About Health Questions?

People often want to ask ChatGPT about symptoms or health concerns. That's understandable, especially if you're worried about something and want a quick answer.

You can ask general health questions: "What are the symptoms of a urinary tract infection?" is perfectly fine. What you should avoid is giving ChatGPT your full medical history, medication list, or specific test results. Keep it general.

And please remember: ChatGPT is not a doctor. It can explain things, but it can't diagnose you. For anything health-related that worries you, speak to your GP.

A Practical Checklist

Before you hit Enter, run through this quick mental checklist:

1. Have I included my full name? Remove it.
2. Have I included my address or postcode? Make it vaguer.
3. Have I included any financial information? Delete it immediately.
4. Have I included any ID numbers? Take them out.
5. Would I be comfortable if this text were read out in a public place? If not, edit it.

That last one is a good general test. If you wouldn't say it loudly in a coffee shop, don't type it into ChatGPT.

Don't Be Scared, Just Be Sensible

None of this is meant to put you off using ChatGPT. It's a wonderful tool and perfectly safe for the vast majority of tasks. Writing letters, planning trips, learning new things, getting recipe ideas. All fine.

Just treat it like any other online service. You wouldn't give your bank details to a stranger in the street, and you shouldn't give them to a chatbot either. Common sense applies.

For more on online safety with AI, visit our staying safe guide. And if you're just getting started, read our step-by-step ChatGPT guide for beginners.