It’s a strange glimpse into the human mind: If you filter search results on Google, Bing, and other search engines to only include URLs from the domain “https://chatgpt.com/share,” you can find strangers’ conversations with ChatGPT.
Some conversations are mundane, like asking for bathroom renovation help or seeking recipe ideas. Others are more intriguing, like having ChatGPT rewrite a resume for a job application that didn’t pan out. Unfortunately, some discussions take a more questionable turn, with users posing incel forum-like questions or asking if they can microwave a metal fork (spoiler: you can’t).
ChatGPT doesn’t make these conversations public by default. Users have to deliberately click the “share” button and create a shareable link, with the option to make it discoverable or private. However, what users may not realize is that search engines can index these shared links, potentially exposing personal information.
According to ChatGPT, these chats were indexed as part of an experiment to make sharing conversations easier while keeping users in control. Google, on the other hand, clarifies that they don’t control what pages are made public on the web, leaving publishers responsible for their content’s visibility.
This revelation highlights the importance of understanding the consequences of sharing information online, even in seemingly private conversations.
