Privacy
Data collection, surveillance, the illusion of privacy in AI chatbots, and the erosion of personal privacy through ambient AI and cross-border data flows.
Image: Reihaneh Golpayegani & Digit / Better Images of AI / Surveillance / CC-BY 4.0
Articles
Teaching AI Ethics: Privacy
AI systems are often "black boxes", making it hard to understand how they arrive at their decisions. The use of personal data in AI training data and the potential for data breaches pose significant privacy risks.
Teaching AI Ethics: Privacy 2025
As generative AI becomes embedded in our daily digital lives, the privacy implications have grown more complex and immediate. The illusion of privacy in AI chatbots masks a troubling reality.
Case Studies
Italy Fines OpenAI for GDPR Violations
Italy's data protection authority imposed a 15 million euro fine on OpenAI for multiple GDPR violations, including failing to notify authorities of a data breach and failing to provide adequate age verification.
Meta AI's Privacy Disaster
Meta AI users discovered their "private" conversations were being shared with other users through a "Discover" feed. People had shared medical questions, legal advice, and job disputes, not knowing their conversations were public.
DeepSeek and Cross-Border Data
When DeepSeek's R1 model became the most-downloaded app in the US, cybersecurity researchers discovered hidden code connecting to a Chinese state-owned telecommunications company, triggering bans and investigations across Europe.
AI Defamation: The Brian Hood Case
ChatGPT incorrectly described an Australian mayor as a guilty party in a foreign bribery scandal, when he was actually the whistleblower. The case highlights how AI can generate defamatory content by combining public data with hallucinations.
Teaching Ideas
How does GDPR's approach to AI training data compare with the emerging US framework?
What technical measures can developers implement to protect privacy in AI systems?
When does the societal benefit of AI outweigh individual privacy rights?
How do privacy concerns affect the AI market?
How do user interface design choices affect privacy?
What is the "illusion of privacy" and why are users vulnerable to it?
How do different nations approach AI and data sovereignty?