In an era defined by increasing concerns over data privacy, a new AI chatbot called Lumo is making waves with its commitment to secure conversations and enhanced privacy protection for users. Developed by Proton, the company known for its encrypted email service ProtonMail, Lumo aims to provide users with the benefits of AI without compromising their personal data.

Lumo's standout feature is its strict approach to data privacy. Unlike many mainstream AI chatbots that store chat logs on company servers, Lumo employs zero-access encryption. This means that any conversation a user saves is encrypted in a way that only their device can decrypt. Even Proton itself cannot read or access user chat histories. According to Proton, only users have the key required to access their data. This encryption key blocks third parties, and even Proton, from accessing user content.

Several other safeguards are in place to protect user privacy. Lumo does not keep logs of conversations server-side, and any chats saved are only decrypted on the user's device. The company also states that user conversations and inputs are not used to train the large language models that power Lumo. This prevents personal data from being repurposed for future AI responses or shared with third parties.

Lumo also offers a "Ghost mode" that ensures active chat sessions are not saved, even on local devices. When this mode is enabled, any chat created is automatically deleted as soon as the user navigates away from it. Furthermore, Lumo's web search feature is disabled by default to maximize confidentiality. When enabled, it deploys privacy-friendly search engines to provide responses to user queries. The chatbot can also analyze uploaded files, but it does not store any of the data. Integration with Proton Drive makes it simple to add end-to-end encrypted files from Proton Drive to Lumo chats.

Lumo is powered by several open-source large language models (LLMs) that run on Proton's servers in Europe, including Mistral's Nemo, Mistral Small 3, Nvidia's OpenHands 32B, and the Allen Institute for AI's OLMO 2 32B model. Lumo can field requests through different models depending on which is better suited for a query. Proton emphasizes that these models are operated from its European data centers, which should enhance transparency and reduce the risk of abuse by U.S. or Chinese AI companies. As a European service, Lumo is also subject to GDPR, so users can delete their data at any time.

Lumo comes in both a free and premium version. Those without an account with Lumo or Proton are able to ask 25 queries per week and will not be able to access chat histories. Users with a free account can ask up to 100 questions per week. The Lumo Plus plan, priced at $12.99 a month, comes with unlimited chats, an extended encrypted chat history, and more.

While AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot offer powerful capabilities, they typically store user data, may use conversations for model training, and are often based in jurisdictions with weaker privacy protections. Lumo differentiates itself by never storing unencrypted chat logs on servers, never using conversations to train its models, operating under strict European privacy laws, offering code transparency through open-source releases, and running entirely on Proton's own infrastructure, with no third-party data sharing.

As concerns about data privacy continue to grow, Lumo's focus on secure conversations and enhanced privacy protection offers a compelling alternative to more data-hungry AI chatbots. By prioritizing user confidentiality and employing robust security measures, Lumo aims to empower users with the benefits of AI without compromising their fundamental right to privacy.