Google has issued a privacy warning, pointing out the potential risks of disclosing personal information when using artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
Alphabet has confirmed that Bard will be renamed Gemini and become the flagship AI assistant on Android devices. The program will bring advancements and greater synergy between different services on smartphones, but it seems to come at a cost.
According to reports, in the fine print of the Gemini Apps Privacy Hub, there is a statement warning that Google collects conversations, location, feedback, and usage information when using Gemini.
Gemini Privacy Warning
The purpose of collecting this information is unclear, but it may make users consider who has access to their conversations with the Gemini tool and why.
Google states, "We value your privacy and we do not sell your personal information to anyone. To help Gemini improve while protecting your privacy, we select a portion of conversations and use automated tools to help remove user identifying information (such as email addresses and phone numbers)."
This part seems less concerning, but in the section titled "Your Data and the Gemini App," there is a warning:
"Please do not enter confidential information in conversations or any data that you do not want reviewers or Google to see and use to improve our products, services, and machine learning technologies."
From a privacy perspective, a shocking discovery is that user data will be retained for three years. Even if app activity is deleted, Gemini conversations reviewed by human reviewers will be kept during this period as they are stored separately and not associated with Google accounts.
This tech giant has made it clear to some extent that you should carefully consider the information exchanged with Gemini and refrain from providing sensitive personal details that you do not want AI technology to retain.