Moxie Marlinspike’s Confer: A Privacy-Smart Alternative to ChatGPT

Why Privacy Matters in AI Chatbots

Did you know that most popular AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, use your conversations to train their models and target advertising? For anyone concerned about data privacy, this is a surprising yet crucial fact. Many users unknowingly trade their personal information for free access to these AI assistants.

Enter Confer, a chat platform launched by Moxie Marlinspike, famed for his cryptographic work on Signal. Confer is designed to replicate the familiar experience of ChatGPT or Claude, yet it takes a fundamentally different approach to user privacy and data usage.

How Does Confer Work Differently from ChatGPT?

Confer offers a similar interface and feel to ChatGPT, easing the transition for users familiar with conversational AI. However, the key distinction lies in its zero-tolerance policy on data harvesting for training or ads. Your conversations with Confer are never used to improve models or serve targeted ads.

This approach emphasizes privacy-by-design, meaning the platform is built from the ground up to protect user data rather than retrofitting privacy controls after launch.

What Does “Not Used for Training” Mean?

Most AI chat services collect user data to continually train and refine their machine learning models. This helps improve accuracy but raises privacy alarms since your inputs become part of a large dataset accessible across organizations.

Confer's design explicitly excludes your interactions from training datasets, which means your data stays private and isolated, fundamentally changing the risk profile for users.

Is Confer Really as Functional as ChatGPT?

From firsthand experience, Confer mirrors many capabilities users expect — from answering questions to brainstorming ideas. Yet there are trade-offs.

• Response quality: While accurate and coherent, Confer can occasionally lag behind ChatGPT in nuance due to less frequent retraining.
• Speed: Response times sometimes feel slightly slower as privacy protections create overhead.
• Feature Set: Advanced tools or integrations available in ChatGPT may not be present in Confer.

Nevertheless, Confer's design intends to serve users willing to sacrifice some convenience for complete conversation confidentiality.

When Should You Use Confer Over ChatGPT?

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Are you concerned about corporate data mining and surveillance?
2. Do you want to avoid having your chats repurposed as training data?
3. Is preserving ownership and control over your conversation data a priority?

If so, Confer is a compelling alternative. However, if you rely on the very latest in AI features or integrations, ChatGPT or Claude might better fit your immediate workflow.

What About Advertising and Monetization?

Many AI chat platforms monetize through targeted ads built from user data. Confer takes a strict stance against this, rejecting any advertising tied to your conversations. This aligns with emerging user demands for transparency and consent.

Quick Reference: Key Takeaways

• Confer protects your privacy: Conversations are not used for training or advertising.
• Similarity to ChatGPT: Designed to feel familiar and conversational.
• Trade-offs: Slightly slower, fewer features, but higher privacy.
• Ideal users: Privacy-conscious individuals and organizations.
• Not ideal: Users who want the most recent AI capabilities or integrations.

How Can You Decide Which AI Chatbot Suits You Best?

Choosing between Confer and ChatGPT boils down to prioritizing privacy versus feature set. Understanding your own risk tolerance and use cases is key.

To assist this process, use the following decision checklist:

Privacy vs. Functionality Checklist

1. Do you share sensitive or confidential information in AI chats?
2. Is your data privacy legally mandated?
3. Do you care if your conversations are logged and used for training?
4. Are you willing to accept occasional slower responses to protect privacy?
5. Do you need AI with advanced or latest features?

Answering these questions honestly will guide you to either Confer (privacy-focused) or ChatGPT (feature-focused).

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Right Conversational AI for You

Moxie Marlinspike’s Confer challenges the prevailing norms of AI data usage. It confronts trusted platforms by ensuring your conversations remain yours, free from training or ads. As privacy concerns grow, alternatives like Confer gain relevance for users wary of handing over data in exchange for convenience.

Ultimately, no AI platform is perfect. It’s about understanding trade-offs and choosing the tool that best fits your priorities. Confer succeeds by putting privacy front and center.

If you value confidentiality over cutting-edge bells and whistles, Confer is a worthy new voice in the AI chat arena.

Now, take 15 minutes to complete the checklist above. Clarify your priorities, and make an informed choice that respects your data and your needs.