What ChatGPT and Gemini store about you and how to check it

In short: ChatGPT and Google Gemini do not “understand” you like a person does, but they can still build a detailed record from what you type, upload, and do over time.

What's going on

People often feel like chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini have “figured them out.” The main reason is simpler, they can keep logs of your chats and connect them to your account, device, and activity history (like a customer file that grows each time you visit a store).

With ChatGPT, OpenAI can collect the text of your conversations, your feedback, and files you upload, such as PDFs and images. It can also collect technical details like your IP address (a number that can point to your general location) and device information. OpenAI says some personal data can be kept for years, and even if you delete a chat, it may still be stored for at least 30 days for safety and security.

With Gemini, Google stores Gemini activity by default through a setting called Gemini Apps Activity. This can include prompts, voice transcripts, and files you share. Google says some chats may be reviewed by humans, and reviewed data can be kept for up to three years even if you delete your history or turn off activity. If you enable Gemini to work across Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Calendar, it can use what your account can access, which can widen what the system can surface.

What to watch

More people are likely to change settings as they learn that a real person may review a small sample of chats, and that “delete” does not always mean immediate removal everywhere. For now, the safest habit is to avoid sharing sensitive details, and to regularly check activity logs, set auto-delete, and turn off training or history when the option exists.

Source: NYTimes