An experimental opt-in setting allowed users to share chats publicly. But unclear warnings led many to unknowingly expose private conversations to web searches, with content remaining intact and searchable.

Thousands of intimate discussions covering abuse, addiction and workplace issues were leaked, highlighting risks of treating AI as a confidential therapist or advisor.

The company removed the feature and is working to scrub indexed chats, but critics argue the opt-in design was poorly communicated, leaving lasting privacy risks due to Google's caching.