Want a private ChatGPT alternative? How Proton's Lumo 2.0 locks down your data, EU style

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Proton debuts Lumo 2.0, overhauling the chatbot for accrued information and responsiveness.
• The shaper of ProtonMail and ProtonVPN says its AI bot is ne'er trained connected idiosyncratic data.
• The latest Lumo targets consumers and businesses that privation to support conversations private.

Proton, champion known for its ProtonMailVPN and encrypted email work ProtonMail, has announced Lumo 2.0, the 2nd iteration of its 'privacy-first' AI chatbot, featuring "the astir important alteration since launch."

First announced in 2025, Lumo arrived arsenic a privacy-preserving alternate to fashionable AI models specified arsenic OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude. While capable to execute galore of the aforesaid tasks -- answering idiosyncratic queries, searching the web, generating contented including substance and images, and analyzing uploaded files -- Proton emphasizes information and privateness features that different AI models don't prioritize. 

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To date, implicit 10 cardinal radical person utilized the unfastened root chatbot. 

What's caller successful Lumo 2.0?

According to Proton, the AI chatbot's capabilities are steadily growing. 

On the independent Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, which measures AI crossed 10 benchmarks, Lumo 2.0 has recorded a 127% betterment successful functions, including speed, reasoning, and knowledge, compared to Lumo 1.4. 

Other upgrades include:

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• Modes: Two caller modes are present available, which springiness you the enactment betwixt accelerated responses for generic and basal queries ("fast" mode) oregon much in-depth answers that necessitate multi-step reasoning ("reasoning" mode).
• Images: Lumo tin present process some substance and images successful the aforesaid conversation, and the aforesaid encryption standards use to images arsenic well. Image procreation based connected prompts has besides improved.
• Web search: Proton has besides improved Lumo's web hunt functionality. In Lumo 2.0, you tin propulsion unrecorded results and presumption citations, which should trim the hazard of error. The exemplary present stays up to day connected caller news, events, finance, and weather, which Proton says volition supply "more accurate, much implicit answers with less hallucinations."
• Memory: An betterment that concern users successful peculiar whitethorn admit is deeper contextual representation functions. You tin take however overmuch accusation is retained astir you and your preferences, which tin amended the prime of aboriginal conversations and enactment tasks -- specified arsenic managing documents and datasets. 
• Projects: Dedicated, unafraid workspaces are present disposable to store conversations, files, and instructions. 
• Custom personas: You tin besides make Lumo to enactment to your preferences and to make a persona that is astir beneficial to you. For example, you tin instruct Lumo to enactment arsenic a trainer, teacher, oregon idiosyncratic assistant. 

How does Lumo 2.0 support my privacy?

In the 2nd mentation of Lumo, the AI assistant's architecture has been overhauled, and it runs wholly connected Proton's European infrastructure -- which keeps the exertion and immoderate associated information extracurricular areas with anemic oregon non-existent information extortion laws. 

Proton is based successful Geneva, which means its bundle and solutions are protected by Swiss privateness laws, among the astir stringent successful the world. Swiss laws align with galore of the principles enshrined successful the EU's GDPR protections, but thin to spell further, with a guaranteed close to privateness and strict requirements for overseas information requests. 

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Another important privateness measurement is Proton's usage of zero-access encryption. Messages are encrypted, and erstwhile a effect has been generated, this accusation is stored locally truthful lone the idiosyncratic tin entree and decrypt it, meaning that adjacent Proton can't work oregon usage your data. 

"Your messages are encrypted crossed the full network, including Proton's interior pipeline, until they scope the LLM, which keeps nary logs of your chats," Proton says. "On the mode back, the reply is secured with the aforesaid encryption strategy, ensuring your connection ne'er crosses immoderate web bound unencrypted."

There's besides a Ghost mode, which users tin alteration to guarantee chats vanish erstwhile conversations are over, and your conversations, data, and inputs are not utilized to bid the AI model. Proton besides doesn't store logs oregon stock oregon merchantability idiosyncratic accusation crossed its information suite, which present includes its LLM. 

How to effort Lumo 2.0

Anyone tin effort retired Lumo for free. You volition request to sign up for an account, but an optional subscription is not required.

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However, those who mean to usage Lumo regular oregon businesses that necessitate much than conscionable a backstage AI model volition privation to research Lumo Plus and Lumo Professional. Available for $9.99/month, Lumo Plus offers unlimited regular chats and history, web search, the enactment to upload and analyse ample files, entree to precocious AI models, and precedence support. 

Lumo Professional is the astir due enactment for concern use, with features disposable including unafraid collaborative tools, unreality storage, email aliases, and further Proton information features. Plans commencement astatine $11.99/month.