Some ChatGPT conversations are being reviewed by human contractors as part of OpenAI’s model-improvement work, according to leaked internal materials reported by 404 Media.

Under an internal project reportedly called “Project Lily,” reviewers grade model responses, summarize user intent, and flag behaviors such as robotic phrasing or excessive agreement. The materials also indicate that OpenAI uses automated privacy filtering before conversations reach reviewers.

Consumer AI chats should not be treated as private correspondence, especially when conversations may be used for model improvement.

Inside Project Lily

According to 404 Media, contractors earn over $50 an hour through intermediary firms like Crossing Hurdles and Mercor to review selected conversation streams and score generated replies from 1 to 7.

Documents show reviewers are trained to flag “AI-speak,” weed out sycophancy, and eliminate unnecessary emojis, such as lists packed with green checkmarks.

OpenAI scrubs usernames and routes text through an automated tool called Privacy Filter to remove identifying details before conversations reach reviewers, although the system may not catch every rare identifier or ambiguous reference.

OpenAI acknowledges the filter can fail on rare identifiers or ambiguous phrasing, and contractors can still view a “user memories summary” displaying an individual’s past interests and approximate location.

Asked whether users realize human reviewers may see their conversations, one contractor told 404 Media, “No, I don’t think they would imagine some contractor somewhere […] is analyzing the conversations.”

The regulatory fault line

The disclosure could intensify privacy and regulatory scrutiny around how consumer AI conversations are processed and disclosed.

As The Next Web noted, the Court of Justice of the European Union held last September in EDPS v SRB that a data controller’s duty to inform users applies at the exact moment of collection, regardless of whether a downstream recipient can directly identify someone.

OpenAI—already fined 15 million euros by Italian data regulators for processing without a proper legal foundation—faces compounding scrutiny because consumer tiers leave data sharing active by default. The “improve the model for everyone” toggle is enabled automatically on Free, Plus, and Pro tiers, while corporate Enterprise, Business, and Edu accounts are opted out by default.

Why conversational AI creates a privacy blind spot

The privacy tension comes from how conversational AI is designed. Chatbots can feel more personal than traditional software, encouraging users to share context they might not enter into a search box or form, while some conversations may still be used in model-improvement workflows.

When an interface simulates human empathy, consumers naturally lower their guard, treating the dialogue box like a personal diary or confidential advisor.

This creates a sharp structural divide. OpenAI applies different data-handling defaults across its products. Enterprise, Business, and Edu accounts are not used for model training by default, while consumer users may need to disable model-improvement settings themselves.

That distinction matters for companies deciding whether employees should use consumer AI accounts for work involving confidential or regulated information.

Turning off model-improvement sharing affects future conversations, but users should not assume the change retroactively removes data that has already entered existing processing or review workflows.

Industry norms and consumer impact

OpenAI is not alone. Rivals Anthropic and Google Gemini also employ human reviewers for chat optimization under specific account settings. However, critics argue the lack of explicit, direct prompts warning users before they hit send creates an avoidable trap.

For regular users, the practical rule is simple: do not enter passwords, financial details, health information, confidential company data, or other sensitive material into a consumer AI service unless you understand how that data will be handled.

ChatGPT users should also review their model-training settings. For workplace use, businesses should rely on approved AI products and organizational policies designed for sensitive information rather than assuming a consumer chatbot is private by default.

In other AI news, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for slower frontier AI development, with Sam Altman and Elon Musk backing the broader push as safety and cybersecurity concerns grow.

South Korea wants to make sure autonomous software cannot pull the digital trigger without human sign-off.

The Korea Internet & Security Agency, which operates under South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, told Reuters it is developing version 2.0 of its “AI Security Guide.” The update will address autonomous AI agents operating across software, networks, and physical systems.

For IT leaders, the proposal underscores a growing security concern: AI agents can receive credentials, use external tools, modify systems, and initiate actions with limited supervision. Organizations deploying them may therefore need tighter access controls, stronger audit trails, and human approval for consequential actions.

In a statement, KISA said the revised guide would focus on security issues that could arise as companies deploy agentic AI services and offer a checklist to manage those risks. The agency added that the manual could include common control measures applicable to “physical AI” systems capable of interacting with real-world devices and machinery.

According to Reuters, the proposed guide would divide security responsibilities across the AI deployment pipeline:

• Developers would restrict agents’ access to tools and maintain tamper-resistant decision logs.
• Service providers would implement real-time shutdown controls and incident-tracking mechanisms.
• Enterprise users would configure operating privileges and require human approval for high-risk actions.

The delegation dilemma

The risk extends beyond familiar concerns involving generative AI, such as proprietary-data exposure and inaccurate outputs. Agentic systems can also act within company environments, making permission controls and oversight more consequential.

Granular controls could reduce the risk of an AI agent taking an unauthorized or harmful action, but they may also introduce friction for enterprise adopters.

Companies deploy agents to automate work such as resolving support tickets, adjusting machinery, and executing financial transactions. Approval requirements and strict permission limits could slow that automation, but they would give organizations more control over high-consequence actions.

South Korea has not yet finalized the guide, so its exact requirements and enforcement status remain unclear. Enterprise security teams do not need to wait, however, to inventory deployed agents, restrict their permissions, preserve audit logs, and require human approval before software can make consequential financial, operational, or physical changes.

Read more: OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra cybersecurity assessment explores how increasingly capable AI systems are changing the threat landscape for enterprise security teams.

OnePlus may be shrinking the map for its next flagship even further.

A new leak suggests the OnePlus 16R could become the company’s top smartphone in India next year, potentially leaving the standard OnePlus 16 out of one of the brand’s major international markets. The report comes two months after OnePlus confirmed it would conclude new product rollouts in North America and Europe.

Combined with an earlier leak claiming the OnePlus 16 could skip India, the new report raises the possibility that the standard flagship could remain exclusive to China. For everyone else, the bigger question may no longer be what OnePlus puts inside its next flagship, but whether they’ll officially be able to buy it at all.

OnePlus 16R could become the new flagship in India

Tipster Yogesh Brar claimed on Sept. 11 that the OnePlus 16R will likely serve as the company’s flagship in India next year.

Under the reported strategy, the 16R would sit at the top of the Indian lineup, followed by the Nord series in the mid-range and N series at the more affordable end.

That would represent a notable shift for OnePlus. The R series has generally offered flagship-level performance at a lower price than the company’s primary numbered flagship, often with compromises elsewhere in the hardware.

Importantly, OnePlus has not confirmed the reported India lineup or the rumored availability strategy for the OnePlus 16 and 16R. The claims should therefore be treated as leaks rather than a finalized product roadmap. However, they add another piece to a pattern that has been developing for months.

OnePlus confirmed in July that it would conclude new product rollouts in Europe and North America, while saying that existing devices will continue to receive software updates, security patches, and applicable after-sales support.

OnePlus has also said its India business continues to operate as usual, with local operations on track. That distinction is important: the new leak does not say OnePlus is leaving India. Instead, it suggests the company could continue selling phones there while changing which models Indian buyers receive.

TechRepublic previously reported that the OnePlus 16 was unlikely to reach the U.S. and Europe following the company’s retreat from new product launches in those markets. India remained one of the biggest unanswered questions.

Now, the latest leak suggests OnePlus may have a different flagship strategy there.

OnePlus may be building two very different smartphone strategies

If the latest reports are accurate, OnePlus could operate very differently depending on where customers live.

China could remain the primary market for the company’s numbered flagship, while India would reportedly top out at the 16R. North American and European buyers, meanwhile, should not expect new OnePlus models to launch officially under the company’s current strategy.

That’s especially notable because the rumored OnePlus 16 sounds increasingly ambitious.

Recent leaks point to a 200MP main camera and upgraded telephoto system. TechRepublic’s latest look at the rumored OnePlus 16 camera hardware also found that questions about international availability were becoming as significant as the hardware itself.

Other leaks point to an approximately 9,000 mAh battery, a 200 MP main camera, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, though OnePlus has not confirmed those specifications. TechRepublic previously broke down the broader OnePlus 16 hardware leaks.

The new India report complicates those rumored upgrades for prospective buyers. OnePlus could be developing one of its most capable phones yet while simultaneously making it available to fewer people. It also puts more pressure on the 16R.

If that phone really becomes OnePlus’ flagship for India, it would no longer simply serve as a more affordable member of the company’s flagship family. It could become the best new OnePlus phone officially available to Indian customers.

Exactly what that means for its processor, cameras, battery, pricing, and other hardware remains unknown. OnePlus has not confirmed the 16R’s specifications.

Why this matters if you’re considering a OnePlus phone

For prospective buyers, OnePlus’ changing geographic strategy may ultimately matter more than another round of leaked specifications.

A powerful processor, giant battery, or upgraded camera system doesn’t carry much weight if the phone isn’t officially sold where you live. Importing a device can raise additional questions about cellular band compatibility, warranty service, repairs, software support, and regional features.

Indian buyers have another reason to wait for official information. The 16R could turn out to be an attractive flagship in its own right, but its value will depend on what OnePlus includes and how much it costs. Treating it as a direct substitute for the OnePlus 16 before those details are known would be premature.

Existing OnePlus owners in North America and Europe don’t need to replace their phones simply because the company has concluded new product rollouts there. OnePlus says existing devices will continue receiving software updates, security patches, and applicable warranty, repair, and after-sales support.

But anyone planning their next OnePlus purchase should pay close attention to geography. If the latest reports are correct, choosing a future OnePlus flagship may increasingly depend not just on which phone you want, but on which OnePlus phones are officially available in your market.

For now, buyers should wait for OnePlus to confirm the launch markets, specifications, pricing, and support policies for the 16 and 16R before deciding whether to upgrade or import.

Also read: Considering a OnePlus while the company reshapes its global lineup? See what the OnePlus 15 offers, from performance and cameras to battery life and software support.