Proton Mail goes AI, security-focused userbase goes 'what on Earth'

Proton Mail, known for its privacy-focused email service, recently introduced Proton Scribe, an AI writing assistant for enterprise customers. Despite claiming user demand for AI features, the move has sparked concerns among the security-conscious user base. The implementation of Scribe, utilizing a Mistral LLM, has raised red flags as it deviates from Proton's usual transparency regarding security and threat models. While Proton assures that only prompts are sent to servers and promptly deleted, users have reported the feature being enabled by default. The vague descriptions of Scribe's threat model have left privacy-focused users questioning the service's commitment to privacy. This shift in approach has drawn parallels to Signal Messenger's controversial move with MobileCoin, leading to doubts about Proton Mail's security standards. The privacy-conscious community is closely monitoring these developments, emphasizing the importance of maintaining trust in recommending secure communication platforms.