Deleting a chat doesn't always erase it, and AI may be training on what you type. Here are 9 myths, and #8 reveals who else can read your Gemini chats.
Myth: deleting a ChatGPT chat erases it instantly. It leaves your history at once, but OpenAI takes up to 30 days to purge it, longer if the law requires.
Temporary Chat stays out of your history and isn't used for training, yet OpenAI can still hold a copy for up to 30 days for safety checks.
On Free, Plus and Pro, ChatGPT can train on your chats unless you opt out. Go to Settings > Data controls and turn off Improve the model for everyone.
Deleting a chat doesn't delete what ChatGPT memorized from it. Open Settings > Personalization > Memory to review saved memories or clear them all.
Anyone with a ChatGPT share link can read that chat, and deleting the chat alone won't remove the link. Clear old ones in Settings > Data controls > Shared links.
Turning off Keep Activity in Gemini doesn't stop saving. New chats stay with your account for 72 hours so Gemini can reply and Google can run safety checks.
Human reviewers read some Gemini chats to improve Google AI. With Keep Activity off, future chats skip review and training, so switch it off before sharing personal details.
Once a reviewer has seen a Gemini chat, deleting your activity won't remove it. Google keeps it for up to 3 years, disconnected from your account.
Gemini activity auto-deletes only after 18 months unless you change it. In Gemini Apps Activity, cut that to 3 months or turn activity off entirely.
Opt out of ChatGPT training, clear old memories and share links, then shorten Gemini's auto-delete. Your future chats stay far more private.