'Think before you type': Expert explains how Yahalomi case shows dangers of sharing all with an AI
Osher Cohen, a cyber specialist and the founder of Yo Secure, explained that most people are treating AI chatbots as search bars, but they share way more information and context.
A pair of Israelis, Mali and Liel Yahalom, were reportedly traced from Vienna to Buenos Aires through their chat history with artificial intelligence models, according to N12 News. Cyber expert Osher Cohen explained that this case highlights the need for users to reconsider how they interact with AI. Cohen, founder of Yo Secure, a digital security company in Israel, emphasized that AI chatbots are cloud services that may be connected to accounts, devices, email addresses, browsers, IP addresses, privacy settings, and data retention policies.
He stressed that people often treat AI chatbots as private conversations, but they are actually part of a cloud service with various data retention policies.
Cohen pointed out that users often provide more context when interacting with AI chatbots than they would in a regular search, fearing that their conversations might be recorded. Unlike a brief search query, a conversation with AI can reveal what someone is thinking, worrying about, considering, or trying to achieve. While the appearance of AI tools within search bars may blur the distinction, the tools are fundamentally different and should be handled differently.
The risk lies in the psychological perception that typing into an AI chatbot feels like a private discussion, while it may actually create a more extensive digital footprint.
Cohen advised users to avoid entering sensitive information, like passwords or credit card details, into AI chatbots and to understand the privacy settings and data retention policies of the platforms they use. Businesses should also establish internal AI policies to guide employees on what information can and cannot be shared with these tools.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post Tech & Start-Ups's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
