Google warns users not to share sensitive information with its chatbot, Gemini
Google has recently made several upgrades to its generative AI-based chatbot, including a name change from Bard to Gemini, the launch of a new Android app, and the introduction of a new Ultra 1.0 language model. However, following these updates, Google issued a warning to all Gemini users, cautioning them against sharing any confidential information with the chatbot.
According to a support document released by Google, conversations with Gemini may be reviewed by human reviewers to enhance the quality of the product. Although only a subset of conversations is reviewed and identifying information is removed beforehand, Google suggests that users should still exercise caution and avoid sharing sensitive information. The support document also provides guidance on how users can manage their Gemini Apps activity to prevent conversation data from being saved to their Google Account.
Despite the option to disable Gemini Apps activity, Google states that it retains conversations for up to 72 hours to support maintenance and improvement efforts. The tech giant collects various data from users’ conversations, locations, feedback, and usage to operate Gemini effectively. When set up as a mobile assistant, additional information is gathered to better understand and respond to user queries. Google’s goal in collecting this data is to enhance and develop its products, services, and machine-learning technologies, including those that power Gemini Apps.
Analyst comment
The news can be considered as slightly negative due to Google’s warning about not sharing sensitive information with its chatbot, Gemini. This caution may create some concerns among users about privacy and data security. However, the market impact is likely to be minimal, as users already have the option to disable Gemini Apps activity and Google retains conversations for maintenance and improvement purposes. The market will likely continue to be dominated by Google’s AI-based chatbot, with potential for further updates and improvements to enhance user experience.