ChatGPT flaw exposed users’ chat histories

A flaw in OpenAI’s ChatGPT allowed users to see parts of conversations other users had with the chatbot.

Microsoft-backed startup OpenAI has fixed the ChatGPT bug, which company CEO Sam Altman described as a “significant issue.” The flaw allowed users to see parts of conversations other users had with the chatbot.

“We had a significant issue in ChatGPT due to a bug in an open source library, for which a fix has now been released, and we have just finished validating,” Altman said in a tweet.

OpenAI’s CEO added that users would not have access to their chat histories for some time. Altman said the chat history would not be available on Monday. However, in doing so he didn’t specify an exact date, because he only referred to which day in the week the history would be down.

Earlier this week, users started noticing something wrong with the chatbot. One user posted a screenshot from their ChatGPT conversation showing queries they were unfamiliar with.

“Has ChatGPT or me been hacked? I’ve never had these conversations,” Reddit user Competitive-Hair-311 said.

ChatGPT was down for users all over the world due to the company trying to fix the issue concerning unauthorized access to conversation histories.

The flaw serves as a reminder that no technology is flawless, and users should be aware that OpenAI has access to chatbot conversations. OpenAI explicitly tells users not to share “any sensitive information in your conversations” in the company’s frequently asked questions (FAQ) section.

The release of ChatGPT has prompted a race in the tech sector to release intelligent chatbots. Google has launched its ChatGPT rival Bard, while Chinese tech giant Baidu has unveiled its chatbot, Ernie Bot. Both met with mixed reviews from early adopters.