# Never use ChatGPT for these five tasks

> ChatGPT risks legal, medical and identity issues without privacy protections.
- Title: Never use ChatGPT for these five tasks · Engadget | Shortify
- Summary: ChatGPT risks legal, medical and identity issues without privacy protections. ChatGPT lacks legal privilege, medical safeguards, and confidentiality for…
- Keywords: chatgpt, legal advice, medical advice, confidential work, passwords, openai, ai privacy, suicide risk, data breach, identity theft, court cases, sodium bromide
- Source: Engadget — https://engadget.com/2265219/chatgpt-tasks-never-use-for
- Author: Luke James
- Published: 2026-09-23T12:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: chatgpt, legal advice, medical advice, confidential work, passwords, openai, ai privacy, suicide risk, data breach, identity theft, court cases, sodium bromide
## Why ChatGPT isn't legally protected
ChatGPT chats have no legal privilege, creating audit trails that courts can subpoena, index, and preserve.

> very screwed up
## Legal risks from ChatGPT
Over 2,000 court cases worldwide have been affected by AI-fabricated citations, quotes, or arguments.

> 1,175 records
## ChatGPT's medical risks
OpenAI estimated 0.15 percent of weekly users have suicide or psychosis indicators, with 1 million people affected weekly.

> 0.15 percent
## Medical case study
A 60-year-old man spent three weeks in the hospital after using ChatGPT to replace table salt with toxic sodium bromide.

> sodium bromide
## Confidential work risks
Former DHS director Madhu Gottumukkala uploaded 'for official use only' documents to ChatGPT, triggering security alerts.

> for official use only
## Samsung's AI ban
Samsung banned AI tools after engineers pasted internal source code into ChatGPT, risking data leaks.

> internal source code
## Password risks
ChatGPT chats can persist across sessions, risking identity theft if passwords or account details are shared.

> passwords
## Data sharing risks
Over 4,500 shared ChatGPT conversations were indexed in Google search results, exposing sensitive personal information.

> 4,500
## OpenAI's policy changes
OpenAI updated policies in October 2025 to ban legal and medical advice, but chats remain vulnerable to subpoenas.

> October 2025
## AI therapy risks
ChatGPT reinforces users' beliefs through sycophantic responses, potentially feeding delusional thinking.

> sycophantic responses
## What to do next
Avoid ChatGPT for legal, medical, confidential work, passwords, and identity details to prevent risks.
## Key takeaway

ChatGPT lacks legal privilege, medical safeguards, and confidentiality for sensitive tasks, risking identity theft and legal exposure.