Preventing AI Chatbots from Utilizing Your Personal Data
Essential Information
- Most AI chatbots and tools allow users to opt-out of having their data utilized for AI training purposes.
- This can typically be done through a simple toggle found in the Settings section of the AI application. Look for privacy-related options and turn off the settings that grant permission for data usage in AI model training.
- Well-known AI systems, including ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, and LinkedIn, offer such toggles directly within their settings interface.
- Meta AI, however, presents challenges in opting out of data training, especially outside of the EU or the UK, or without valid proof of data misuse in the US, making it difficult to manage your personal information.
Out of the box, every AI chatbot and AI-enhanced service typically employs user data to refine its training process. This practice is fundamental for improving the performance of the AI model with each update. If you have privacy concerns regarding the AI’s use of your information, there are steps you can take to protect it.
Steps to Prevent AI from Utilizing Your Data for Training
While you may consider deleting your chat history to stop AI from training on your data, this isn’t the most effective solution. For one, the AI can still access your data until it’s removed. Additionally, you may wish to retain your chat history for future reference. Therefore, it’s advisable to disable AI training on your data, regardless of your chat history. Here’s how you can do this across various AI platforms.
ChatGPT
The procedure to disable AI training varies slightly depending on whether you’re accessing ChatGPT via web or mobile.
Using the Web Version
Here’s how to prevent AI model training on the ChatGPT web platform.
Step 1: Click your profile image at the top right and select Settings.
Step 2: Click on Data Controls from the left sidebar.
Step 3: On the right, click Improve the model for everyone.
Step 4: Switch off Improve the model for everyone and hit Done.
Using the Mobile App
To turn off AI training on the ChatGPT mobile application, follow these steps.
Step 1: Tap the three horizontal lines in the top left corner.
Step 2: Tap on your account name at the bottom left.
Step 3: Select Data Controls.
Step 4: Toggle off Improve the model for everyone.
Optional: Should you wish to continue permitting AI training on chats while preventing it from utilizing audio recordings, disable the Include your audio recordings option.
Disabling AI training for chats will also turn off AI training for voice recordings.
Gemini
In contrast to ChatGPT, halting data usage for training in Gemini results in the loss of chat history and access to extensions. Unfortunately, there’s no workaround for this yet. Given that, here’s how to stop Gemini from utilizing your data.
Using the Web Version
Step 1: Navigate to gemini.google.com and click on Activity at the bottom left.
Step 2: Next to Gemini Apps Activity, press Turn off. Choose Turn off or Turn off and delete activity.
Step 3: Click Got it.
As previously noted, turning off activity will also remove chat history and disable extensions. Chats will remain saved for the next 72 hours, with Gemini reminding you that new chats will be deleted after completion.
Using the Mobile App
Step 1: Launch the Gemini app. Tap on your account image (or initial) in the top right corner and select Gemini Apps Activity.
Step 2: The ‘Your Gemini Apps Activity’ page will open in a browser. Next to Gemini Apps Activity, press Turn off.
Step 3: Select Turn off or Turn off and delete activity.
Step 4: Lastly, click Got it.
Copilot
Fortunately, Copilot allows you to disable AI training without disrupting your chat history. Here’s how you can do it.
Using the Web Version (and Copilot Desktop App)
Step 1: Visit copilot.microsoft.com or open the Copilot desktop app and log in.
Step 2: Click your profile icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: Click on your account name.
Step 4: Select Privacy.
Step 5: Disable Model training on text and Model training on voice.
Using the Mobile App
Step 1: Open the Copilot app.
Step 2: Tap on your profile image in the top right corner.
Step 3: Select your account name.
Step 4: Tap Privacy.
Step 5: Disable Model training on text and Model training on voice.
Perplexity
Follow these steps to turn off AI training in Perplexity.
Using the Web Version
Step 1: Click the gear icon next to your username in the lower left corner.
Step 2: Under the ‘Account’ section, disable AI Data Retention.
Using the Mobile App
Step 1: Open the Perplexity app and tap your account in the top left.
Step 2: Locate the AI Data Usage option and toggle it Off.
Grok (X/Twitter)
With xAI’s Grok now available for free to all X users, it’s essential to manage your data visibility carefully. Here’s how to disable AI training on X.
Using the Web Version
Step 1: Click on More (the three-dot icon) in the bottom left.
Step 2: Choose Settings and Privacy.
Step 3: Select Privacy and safety.
Step 4: Under ‘Data sharing and personalization’, select Grok & Third-party Collaborators.
Step 5: Turn off Allow your public data as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok and xAI to be used for training and fine-tuning.
Using the Mobile App
Step 1: Open the X app and sign in. Tap your profile icon in the top left.
Step 2: Select Settings & Support and then Settings and privacy.
Step 3: Tap Privacy and safety.
Step 4: In ‘Data sharing and personalization’, tap on Grok & Third-party Collaborators.
Step 5: Disable Allow your public data as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok and xAI to be used for training and fine-tuning.
Since the integration of AI services into LinkedIn, the platform has begun sharing user data with AI for training purposes. Fortunately, a straightforward toggle allows you to disable this.
Using the Web Version
Step 1: Log into LinkedIn on the web. Click on the Me tab and choose Settings & Privacy.
Step 2: Click on Data Privacy from the left panel.
Step 3: Under ‘How LinkedIn uses your data’, select Data for Generative AI Improvement.
Step 4: Simply toggle off Use my data for training content creation AI models.
Using the Mobile App
Step 1: Launch the LinkedIn app and tap your profile picture in the top left corner.
Step 2: Select Settings.
Step 3: Tap on Data Privacy.
Step 4: Go to the Data for Generative AI Improvement section.
Step 5: Toggle off the option for Use my data for training content creation AI models.
Meta AI
Regrettably, Meta deliberately complicates the process of understanding how your data contributes to AI training, prompting concerns regarding potential misuse. For most users globally, opting out of their data being used to train the AI model is not straightforward.
However, if you’re situated in Europe or the UK, you can fill out a Right to Object form to distance your data from Meta AI’s scope.
For individuals in the US, the process is more intricate. There exists a different form titled ‘Data Subject Rights for Third-Party Information Used for AI at Meta’.
Start by checking the box that reads ‘I have a concern about my personal information from third parties that’s related to a response I received from an AI at Meta model, feature or experience’.
Proceed with completing the form by providing your basic information, along with the relevant prompts that resulted in a response containing your personal data, including screenshots of that interaction. Finally, click Send.
If you’re unable to supply this ‘proof’, or if the option isn’t available in your locality, your recourse may be limited to urging your government to take action against Meta’s practices as the EU has done.
Leave a Reply