Chatbot Conversations Leaked in Google Search

Published Date : 21/08/2025 

Hundreds of thousands of conversations with Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok have been indexed by Google, raising significant privacy concerns. 

Hundreds of thousands of user conversations with Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok have been exposed in search engine results, seemingly without users' knowledge. Unique links are created when Grok users press a button to share a transcript of their conversation. However, this button also appears to have made the chats searchable online. A Google search on Thursday revealed it had indexed nearly 300,000 Grok conversations. This has led one expert to describe AI chatbots as a 'privacy disaster in progress'. The BBC has approached X for comment.

The appearance of Grok chats in search engine results was first reported by tech industry publication Forbes, which counted more than 370,000 user conversations on Google. Among the chat transcripts seen by the BBC were examples of Musk's chatbot being asked to create a secure password, provide meal plans for weight loss, and answer detailed questions about medical conditions. Some indexed transcripts also showed users' attempts to test the limits on what Grok would say or do. In one example seen by the BBC, the chatbot provided detailed instructions on how to make a Class A drug in a lab.

It is not the first time that peoples' conversations with AI chatbots have appeared more widely than they perhaps initially realised when using 'share' functions. OpenAI recently rowed back an 'experiment' which saw ChatGPT conversations appear in search engine results when shared by users. A spokesperson told BBC News at the time it had been 'testing ways to make it easier to share helpful conversations, while keeping users in control'. They said user chats were private by default and users had to explicitly opt-in to sharing them. Earlier this year, Meta faced criticism after shared users conversations with its chatbot Meta AI appeared in a public 'discover' feed on its app.

While users' account details may be anonymised or obscured in shared chatbot transcripts, their prompts may still contain—and risk revealing—personal, sensitive information about someone. Experts say this highlights mounting concerns over users' privacy. 'AI chatbots are a privacy disaster in progress,' Prof Luc Rocher, associate professor at the Oxford Internet Institute, told the BBC. They said 'leaked conversations' from chatbots have divulged user information ranging from full names and location to sensitive details about their mental health, business operations, or relationships. 'Once leaked online, these conversations will stay there forever,' they added. Meanwhile, Carissa Veliz, associate professor in philosophy at Oxford University's Institute for Ethics in AI, said users not being told shared chats would appear in search results is 'problematic'. 'Our technology doesn't even tell us what it's doing with our data, and that's a problem,' she said. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is Grok?

A: Grok is an AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk's company, X AI. It is designed to engage in conversations with users and provide assistance on various topics.

Q: How did Grok conversations become searchable on Google?

A: When Grok users shared a transcript of their conversation using a unique link, the chat transcripts also became searchable on Google, exposing them to a wider audience.

Q: What are the privacy concerns with AI chatbots like Grok?

A: The primary privacy concern is that users may inadvertently share personal and sensitive information, which can then be indexed and made public. This can lead to a breach of privacy and potential misuse of the data.

Q: Has this happened with other AI chatbots before?

A: Yes, similar issues have occurred with other AI chatbots. For example, OpenAI's ChatGPT and Meta AI's chatbot have also faced criticism for making user conversations searchable or publicly visible.

Q: What can users do to protect their privacy when using AI chatbots?

A: Users should be cautious about the information they share and understand the privacy settings of the chatbot. They should also avoid sharing sensitive personal data and be aware of the potential risks of using 'share' functions. 

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