As artificial intelligence continues to weave itself into daily life, a growing concern has arisen regarding the increased need for access to personal data. If you’re feeling uneasy about this, you’re not alone. Proton recognizes this anxiety and has introduced Lumo, a new chatbot designed with a strong emphasis on user privacy. In this article, we will delve into what differentiates Lumo from other AI chatbots and how you can try it out for yourself.
Exploring Proton Lumo
Proton is a Swiss company renowned for its dedication to privacy through services like Proton Mail and Proton VPN. With Lumo, they aim to extend their privacy-centric philosophy into the realm of artificial intelligence. This innovative chatbot is engineered for providing assistance without tracking user activity or retaining personal data.
To safeguard user privacy, Lumo utilizes open-source large language models (LLMs) such as Mistral’s Nemo and Small 3, Nvidia’s OpenHands 32B, along with the OLMO 2 32B model from the Allen Institute for AI. In a bid for transparency, Proton has also made the entire source code accessible, allowing users to check for vulnerabilities or defects.
Importantly, Lumo does not conduct web searches by default and automatically deletes conversations when users exit the app. Proton ensures that these dialogues aren’t saved on their servers, maintaining a transparent commitment to user privacy.
Available on both the web and through mobile applications for Android and iOS, Lumo also features an adorable mascot that enhances the user experience with a touch of friendliness and engagement.
Capabilities of Lumo
Users have the option to engage with Lumo without creating an account, although a free registration is available for those who prefer it. There is also a premium subscription priced at $12.99 per month (with an annual option), which offers unlimited daily chats, access to chat history, and advanced AI model features. The free account limits chat history and daily queries, echoing similar restrictions found in ChatGPT.
Lumo employs zero-access encryption for chat history, ensuring that it is accessible solely to the user. No external applications or services, including Proton, can access this data.
Curious about what Lumo can assist you with? Here is a list of tasks that Proton’s AI chatbot is capable of performing:
- Answering inquiries
- Text summarization
- Drafting emails
- Code assistance
- Language translations
- Web searches (with manual enablement)
- Providing tech support
- Uploading files for analysis (integrated with Proton Drive)
While Proton assures users that Lumo utilizes privacy-focused search engines, the specifics have not been disclosed. Moreover, uploaded files are not retained on Proton servers, further emphasizing their commitment to privacy.
Once Lumo generates a response, users can easily share it via a Copy button, and they can also rate the responses, allowing Lumo to learn which answers are deemed most helpful.
Importantly, Proton has clarified that user conversations and inputs will not be employed to train the Lumo AI chatbot. However, specific details on the training methodologies have not been released.
The app features a Ghost Mode, which can be activated by clicking the icon of a kitty wearing sunglasses in the top-left corner. This functionality is particularly useful for users wishing to keep certain searches out of their history, even when logged in.
If you prefer to review your chat history, you can access it by selecting the History icon on the web interface or the hamburger menu in the mobile app’s upper left corner.
Lumo arrives on the scene as privacy concerns in AI heighten. With Proton’s well-established credentials in security and data protection, this chatbot is poised to provide a more secure avenue for utilizing AI technology. However, as an emerging product, Lumo may lack some of the advanced functionalities found in seasoned AI chatbots; for instance, it cannot create Ghibli-style images or generate videos like some competitors.
Leave a Reply