Using AI for estate planning can expose personal information you meant to keep protected.
Unlike conversations with a licensed attorney, chats with AI aren’t protected by attorney-client privilege. OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, highlighted this problem in a recent interview. Mr. Altman cautioned users that private details shared with chatbots are fair game for disclosure in legal proceedings.
Many people are turning to AI for help with legal issues, never considering that their conversations aren’t confidential and can come back to haunt them. The truth is, current privacy rules haven’t caught up with technology. Anything you share may, under certain circumstances, be disclosed by the AI platform if compelled by law.
As AI tools become even more integrated into daily life, it’s vital to understand that these chats have none of the legal protections offered in your confidential discussions with a lawyer. Until regulations change, it’s best to treat AI-powered chat as public and not share personal, sensitive, or incriminating details you wouldn’t want made available to an opponent in a legal proceeding.
We have written extensively on some of the challenges of using AI to create Estate Plans. One of the most significant benefits of Gordon Law’s Legacy Planning is that your wishes remain confidential until such time as they need to be disclosed to those named within your Plan. If you go it alone with AI, know that your privacy and the privacy of your beneficiaries may be jeopardized.