OpenAI has revealed that its AI agent tool, Operator, may retain customer chats and associated screenshots for up to 90 days, even if users manually delete them.
This retention period is notably longer than the 30-day policy applied to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s flagship AI chatbot platform.
The extended retention policy for Operators is aimed at combating potential misuse. “As agents are a relatively new technology, we wanted to make sure our teams have the time to better understand and review potential abuse vectors,” an OpenAI spokesperson explained to TechCrunch. The company says this retention period will help improve fraud monitoring and ensure safety while allowing users to maintain some control over their data.
Released as a research preview for subscribers to the $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro plan, Operator is a general-purpose AI agent equipped with a browser to independently perform online tasks. It can handle actions like booking travel, making restaurant reservations, shopping, and more. Users can choose from several categories within the interface, including shopping, dining, delivery, and travel.
Operator’s built-in browser captures screenshots to help it understand and navigate online actions, such as identifying buttons or forms to complete. However, the tool avoids capturing screenshots during sensitive moments, such as when it encounters password-protected pages. OpenAI refers to this safeguard as “take over” mode.
Despite these precautions, some users might hesitate to share screenshots of their online activities, especially knowing the data may be stored for up to three months. OpenAI assures users that Operator data is accessible only to a limited number of authorized personnel and trusted service providers for purposes such as abuse investigations and legal compliance.
