OpenAI admits its tools accidentally leaked ChatGPT users' images

OpenAI acknowledged that its artificial intelligence tools published 53 images sent by users via its ChatGPT platform on the internet, in a new leak that this time involves the company’s own user data. The San Francisco-based AI giant also revealed that its tools had accessed websites belonging to U.S. federal agencies, confirming information previously reported by The New York Times, but noted that it had only collected publicly available information.

OpenAI clarified that the links to the 53 images were not publicly accessible and were mistakenly published on web hosting sites. It stated that most of the images had been removed with the assistance of the relevant hosting service providers, and that efforts are underway to remove the remaining ones.

The images had been sent from accounts whose owners had consented to the use of their data to develop the company’s models. Before being used, the data passed through a personal data privacy filter, and the company confirmed that the images can no longer be linked to the users who sent them.

OpenAI did not specify whether the images show identifiable individuals or sensitive data, and provided no further details.