OpenAI chief Sam Altman has sparked controversy by suggesting future versions of ChatGPT could monitor users’ screens and record conversations, amid increasing concerns over privacy and surveillance in AI technology.
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has drawn fresh criticism after saying a future version of ChatGPT could, within six months, watch users’ screens, record meetings and calls, and build what he called “perfect context” of their lives. The remarks, circulated in a clip on 11 August, were presented by Altman as a route to greater usefulness, but they also intensified fears that the product is moving towards constant personal monitoring.
The reaction online was immediate and largely hostile. Many users interpreted the comments as confirmation that the commercial logic of mainstream AI is drifting towards pervasive surveillance rather than convenience. That concern is not new. Technology publication PCWorld reported that Altman has already acknowledged a major privacy gap: ChatGPT conversations are not covered by legal confidentiality, and OpenAI keeps user interactions that could be disclosed if subpoenaed.
Altman has also warned users directly not to treat ChatGPT like a protected professional service. According to reports from Livemint, Samaa and The Punch, he has said sensitive personal information shared with the chatbot has no legal privilege, unlike discussions with a therapist or lawyer, and could be used as evidence in court. That warning has particular weight because many people, especially younger users, increasingly turn to chatbots for emotional support and private advice.
Privacy concerns have prompted OpenAI to consider stronger protections. Axios reported in 2025 that the company was exploring encryption for temporary chats, although Altman did not give a timetable. Taken together, the comments point to an awkward contradiction: OpenAI is marketing more intimate, context-aware AI at the very moment its chief executive is publicly cautioning users that the system is not built to keep their secrets safe.
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