Getty Images An Ars reader revealed that private conversations with ChatGPT, contain login details and other sensitive information of unaffiliated users, according to images submitted on Monday. Two out of seven photos provided prominently displayed multiple usernames and passwords linked to automated systems used by pharmacy staff. The AI chatbot operator appears to be addressing issues encountered when using the portal. The user expressed concern about the security breach, mentioning that it is alarming and disturbing and that it could lead to burnout. The leaked conversations also included program names and store numbers where the issues occurred.
The screenshots captured by Ars reader Chase Whiteside and made available in a link displayed the entire conversation, revealing additional details. Whiteside reported the appearance of these discussions after using ChatGPT for a different query. The leaked conversations contained information about article titles, unpublished research, and the use of the PHP programming language. The conversations seemed to involve different and inconsistent users, and some discussions referred to events in 2020. This incident underscores the importance of removing personal information from queries in AI services like ChatGPT whenever possible. OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, took the AI chatbot offline last March after a bug led to the display of chat history headers of one user to unrelated users. In a published research paper in November, it was detailed how queries prompted ChatGPT to disclose private information, raising concerns about the exposure of sensitive data. In response, companies like Apple have banned their employees from using ChatGPT and similar platforms due to the potential risk of data leakage. Such incidents are not new and are reminiscent of past experiences where private information was erroneously exposed. Middlebox equipment, situated between front and rear equipment, could store and transfer data such as login credentials, leading to information from one account being copied to another due to system errors. An OpenAI representative stated that the company is looking into the report.
