Last full check: 24 Oct 2026
What do AI chat apps actually do with your conversations?
Training, retention and human review are three separate questions. Every answer on this site has a source link and a check date, and when a company changes its rules, the change is logged.
Vendor tracker
One row per product, listed alphabetically. Open a product for the full page with wording and sources. “Not stated” means the pages we read do not say, which is different from “No”.
| Product | Training | Retention | Human review | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Setting available (Settings > Data controls) | Deleted chats: scheduled for deletion within 30 days, longer if held for legal or security reasons | Temporary Chats may be reviewed to monitor abuse; regular chats not stated | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Claude | Setting available (Settings > Privacy) | Deleted chats leave storage within 30 days; with training on, de-identified data may be kept up to 5 years | Not stated on the pages we read | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Copilot | Older app: toggles in Privacy. New app: no training switch listed | Older app: 18 months by default. New app: not stated | Older app: some conversations get human review, no opt-out. New app: not stated | 24 Oct 2026 |
| DeepSeek | May be used to train and improve models; opt-out right exists (by email, subject to where you live) | “As long as necessary”, and while the account exists | Not stated on the policy we read | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Gemini | “Keep Activity” setting, or Temporary chats | Activity on: 18 months by default. Activity off or Temporary chat: 72 hours | A subset of chats is read by human reviewers; reviewed chats kept up to 3 years | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Grok | Used to improve the service, including training; opt-out switch in the Consumer FAQs (“Improve the Model”) | Deleted within 30 days of deleting a conversation or account, unless needed for legal, compliance or safety reasons | Not stated | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Meta AI | Chats may be used to improve models; no training opt-out setting stated | No fixed period stated; training data kept as long as needed, case by case | Reviewed in some cases, automated or human; Private Processing chats excluded | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Mistral Vibe | May be used for training; opt-out toggle in settings | Kept until you delete your account or the conversation | Not stated | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Perplexity | No training rule for user content stated; no training opt-out setting | “As long as necessary” (no fixed period stated) | Not stated | 24 Oct 2026 |
Figures change. If a row and the company’s own page disagree, trust the company’s page and tell us.
One switch, three questions
Turning off training answers only the first. Ask all three of any AI product you use.
01
Is it used to train models?
Often a setting you can change. Where the setting lives, and what it covers, differs by product.
02
How long is it kept?
Deleting a chat is not always the same as it being gone. Retention can also be changed by a legal order.
03
Can a person read it?
Some products allow review for safety or quality. Whether it applies with training off depends on the wording.
Read: Turning off AI training doesn’t make your chats private
Recent changes
A setting is a promise someone can edit.
For material that must not be found, the more reliable question is who holds it and how you can check. A numbered, sealed item in named custody is something you can verify.
That is the service we run at Everkeep.