Signal founder unveils encrypted AI chatbot with privacy protections

Signal founder Moxie Marlinspike has launched a new open-source artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot called Confer, which is designed with full end-to-end encryption to ensure conversation privacy. The project stems from concerns that existing platforms like ChatGPT and Claude invite intimate, confessional exchanges while allowing companies access to user data for model training or internal review.

Marlinspike argues that current AI interfaces create a false sense of privacy. Unlike traditional messaging apps, where end-to-end encryption is standard for secure communication, most chatbots collect a wealth of personal information, including thinking patterns and uncertainties. He warns that advertisers and data brokers could exploit this data to influence user behaviour or create hyper-targeted marketing.

Confer aims to bridge this gap by encrypting both prompts and responses, ensuring that only the user can access their interactions. By removing the ability to harvest thoughts for future AI training or targeted advertising, the service seeks to provide a space for intellectual exploration without the risk of data exploitation. Marlinspike explains that the tool will function similarly to Signal, where the software's technical reality aligns with the user's private experience.

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