'Think before you type': Expert explains how Yahalomi case shows dangers of sharing all with an AI

Cybersecurity expert Osher Cohen is urging users to exercise caution and "think before you type" when interacting with artificial intelligence chatbots, highlighting how a recent case involving Israelis Mali and Liel Yahalomi demonstrates the potential privacy risks. The couple was reportedly tracked from Vienna, Austria, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, by adversaries who utilized their chat history with AI models, according to N12 News.

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Users need to gain a new habit: think before you type into an AI chatbot.

Cohen, founder of the Israeli digital security firm Yo Secure, explained that people often mistakenly treat AI chatbots as private confessional tools. However, he emphasized that these chatbots are cloud-based services, potentially linked to user accounts, devices, email addresses, IP addresses, and subject to specific privacy settings and data retention policies. This contrasts sharply with traditional search engines, where queries are typically brief and lead to links, rather than engaging in extended conversations.

"People sometimes treat AI chatbots as if they are speaking privately to themselves. In reality, an AI chatbot is a cloud service," Cohen told The Jerusalem Post. He elaborated that users often provide extensive context, test ideas, and describe situations in AI chats – details they might not share in a standard search or even verbally. This conversational nature makes AI interactions potentially more revealing of a user's thoughts, worries, and intentions compared to simple search queries.

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People sometimes treat AI chatbots as if they are speaking privately to themselves. In reality, an AI chatbot is a cloud service.

Cohen strongly advises against inputting sensitive data into AI chatbots unless they are properly secured. He noted that the integration of AI tools into search bars can be misleading, blurring the lines between a standard search and a conversational AI interaction. Regardless of the interface, Cohen stressed that the underlying technology and its data handling practices differ significantly, and users must remain aware of factors like user sign-in status, privacy settings, and data usage policies employed by the service provider.

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A search can show what you wanted to know. A conversation with AI can show what you were thinking, what you were worried about, what you were considering, and what you were trying to achieve.