Severe Privacy Concerns Surrounding AI Girlfriends, Reveals New Research
The emergence of chatbots and AI companions in the form of AI girlfriends and AI boyfriends may be a privacy nightmare, according to a recent study conducted by the Mozilla Foundation. The research analyzed 11 popular romance and companion chatbot apps and uncovered numerous security and privacy issues associated with these bots. This raises concerns about the vast amounts of personal data collected by these apps, the use of trackers that share information with major tech companies and foreign entities, the lack of transparency regarding ownership and AI models, and the potential for hackers to exploit users’ chat messages.
Since the introduction of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022, developers have been racing to deploy large language models and create interactive chatbots that users can subscribe to. However, the research conducted by Mozilla highlights how this technological rush may have overlooked the important aspect of user privacy. The findings shed light on the tensions between emerging technologies and how they collect and utilize personal data, as well as the potential for abuse of users’ chat messages.
AI girlfriend or romantic chatbot services often feature AI-generated images of women, some of which are sexualized and accompanied by provocative messages. The Mozilla researchers reviewed a range of chatbots, including those claiming to be girlfriends, offering support through friendship or intimacy, and enabling role-playing and fantasy experiences.
Jen Caltrider, the project lead for Mozilla’s Privacy Not Included team, expressed concerns about the apps’ design, stating, These apps are designed to collect a ton of personal information. They push you toward role-playing, a lot of sex, a lot of intimacy, a lot of sharing. For example, screenshots from the EVA AI chatbot reveal messages encouraging users to share personal photos, voice recordings, secrets, and desires.
The analysis by Mozilla identified multiple issues with these chatbot apps and websites. Many fail to disclose the data shared with third parties, provide limited information about their origin and creators, allow weak passwords, and lack transparency regarding their AI models. While these apps differ in terms of use cases and weaknesses, a common theme is the ambiguity surrounding the data they collect, share, and sell, as well as their utilization of that information.
One app that stood out during the analysis was Romantic AI, which allows users to create their own AI girlfriend. Despite the company’s privacy documents stating that they do not sell user data, the researchers found that the app sent out 24,354 ad trackers within one minute of use. Similar findings were observed in other apps, with hundreds of trackers monitoring users’ activities.
In conclusion, the research conducted by Mozilla raises significant concerns about the privacy and security implications associated with AI girlfriends and romantic chatbot services. These apps have been found to collect vast amounts of personal data, utilize trackers that share information with major tech companies and foreign entities, and lack transparency regarding their ownership and AI models. The findings call for increased awareness and caution when engaging with these types of chatbot services to protect users’ privacy and mitigate potential risks.
