Who’s listening when you talk to AI?
- Jul 30
- 1 min read
“People talk about the most personal sh*t in their lives to ChatGPT.”– Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
What happens when we start confiding in something before we know if it’s truly on our side? In a recent episode of This Past Weekend with Theo Von, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shares that many people - especially the young ones - are already using ChatGPT like a therapist. They open up about relationships, fears, major life decisions. And they do it without knowing whether they’re protected. Or maybe they just don’t care.
But here’s the thing:There’s no confidentiality agreement between you and an AI. No legal privilege. No professional ethics. No loyalty.
If a legal case were to arise, Altman admits, OpenAI could be forced to hand over what you’ve written.
“I think that’s very screwed up.”“We haven’t figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT.”
When the CEO himself puts it like that, it’s clear that the technology is evolving much faster than the ethical frameworks around it. And yet - people seem to need it. Altman says the whole thing makes him emotional.The question he raises, but hasn’t yet answered, is: How do we handle this?
Sam Altman is a master at “pre-framing.” It’s the art of shaping how a story will be received before the full weight of the facts lands. In this case, he isn’t spinning—it’s truth. But it’s truth framed to manage reaction. This serves companies like OpenAI well, especially in a moment when people are already anxious about what AI means for their future, and when the market feels like a 21st-century gold rush.
The pattern is visible…
On August 7, Altman used the same dispassionate “Golly gee” frame while recounting a user’s plea to bring back an earlier version of ChatGPT:
“Please can I have it back? I’ve never had anyone in my life supportive of me. I never had …