AI for young mindsBeginnerLesson 734 min read

Chatbots are not your secret diary

Chatbots can be helpful, but they are not a safe place for your private details or your biggest worries.

✦ Ask the tutor 🧪 Lab · 10 min 📝 Lesson test

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Chatbots are not your secret diary

Chatbots can be helpful, but they are not a safe place for your private details or your biggest worries.

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In simple words

A diary with a lock stays in your drawer. A chatbot is different. What you type goes to a company's computers far away, and it may be saved there.

A chatbot is an AI you type or talk to, and it answers back. It can help explain a topic or give ideas. But it is a computer program run by a company, not a friend who keeps secrets.

Note

Many chatbots are only for people aged 13 and up, and some are for 18 and up. Check the app's rules, and use chatbots with a parent or teacher if you are younger.

Why be careful?

Chats may be stored on the company's computers
Some chats may be read by people who check or improve the AI
Some companies may use chats to train future AI
If an account is hacked, your chats could be seen by others

Keep these to yourself

Don't share	Why
Your full name and your school's name	Together they can help someone find you
Your home address	It tells people where you live
Phone numbers	Yours or anyone else's
Photos of you, your family or friends	Photos can be copied or misused
Passwords and OTPs	Never, to anyone, anywhere

Not safe to type

"I'm Riya Sharma from Class 7B at St. Mary's School, Pune"
"My password is…"
Uploading your family photo

Safe to type

"I'm a Class 7 student"
"Explain photosynthesis simply"
"Give me 5 quiz questions on fractions"

Big feelings need real people

If you feel very sad, scared, lonely or worried, talk to a trusted adult: a parent, relative, teacher or school counsellor. A chatbot can't hug you, can't see you are hurting, and can't come to help.

Watch out

Chatbots can be wrong about health. If you feel ill or hurt, tell an adult and see a doctor. Don't rely on a chatbot's answer.

Try this. Look at the "Don't share" table. With a parent, check one app you use: does it save chats? Can you turn that off or delete them?

Watch and read more

Lab

A "Share or keep?" sorting sheet you made yourself.

~10 min

The problem

This is a pen-and-paper activity.

Write 12 things someone might type into a chatbot. Mix safe ones ("help me learn tables of 7") and private ones ("my address is…").
Draw two columns: OK to share and Keep private. Sort all 12.
For 3 private ones, rewrite them so they become safe (for example "I'm a Class 6 student" instead of your full name and school).
Show your sheet to a parent or teacher and talk about any you disagreed on.

You are done when

Your list has both safe and private items
Names, school, address, phone numbers, photos and passwords are all in "Keep private"
You rewrote 3 private items into safe versions

Hard questions

Try to answer before you reveal. If you can answer these, you understood the lesson.

Q1Why is sharing your first name alone less risky than sharing your full name and school together?Reveal

Many people share a first name, so it doesn't point to you. But full name plus school narrows it down to one person, in one place, every day. Small details can add up to find someone, so think about what they reveal together.

Q2Why might a company want people to keep chatting and sharing?Reveal

More chatting can mean more users, more data and more money for the company. That is why apps are made to feel friendly. It's fine to use them, but remember the app has its own goals, and your safety is your own job too.

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Questions people ask

Can I use a nickname with a chatbot?

Yes, and that's a good idea. The chatbot doesn't need your real name to explain maths or give story ideas.

If I delete a chat, is it gone forever?

Not always. Some companies keep copies for a while. The safest plan is not to type private things at all.

The chatbot is really nice to me. Can I tell it my secrets?

Chatbots are designed to sound friendly. That doesn't mean it's safe to share private things. Save your secrets for people you trust in real life.

Lesson test

5 questions. Get 3 right (60%) to pass and complete this lesson.