Proton unveiled the Lumo AI chatbot in mid-July, a ChatGPT rival that’s end-to-end encrypted, like all of Proton’s other software tools. That means your discussions with the AI will not be used for training future Lumo models, and Proton will not have access to your chat history. Building on that, Proton announced on Thursday Lumo for Business, which aims to bring the same level of privacy and security to business organizations looking to equip their teams with access to an AI chatbot.
Proton said in a press release that Lumo for Business “offers a truly transparent and trustworthy AI” that’s protected by European privacy laws, making the data safe from “corporate data collection or U.S. government intrusion.” Proton acknowledges the impact AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini have had on how businesses and employees work, but says companies like OpenAI and Google can still share data with third parties like the U.S. government if served with subpoenas. Proton notes that requests for data increased by more than 500% over the last decade, and “companies have essentially been left with a choice: fall behind the competition or hand over commercial secrets to companies like OpenAI and Google.”
Unlike its better-known rivals, the encrypted Lumo AI assistant will protect all chats, making such requests for data impossible to satisfy. That said, Lumo AI is still in its early days. While companies looking for secure chatbots might appreciate Proton’s commitment to strong encryption, Lumo isn’t yet a match for ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI chatbots when it comes to features.
What Lumo for Business has to offer
Like other AI services, Lumo can search the web, summarize information, analyze documents, write code, and generate text. Proton says the service has millions of users already. The Lumo for Business tool should offer a few additional features, with a focus on security and privacy.
Zero-access encryption means Lumo AI chats can only be accessed by the user who started the conversations, on the same device, and using the same password. Proton doesn’t keep a record of the chats, so it can’t share any of the data. Other people in the organization won’t be able to access the data either, unless they have access to the user’s devices and login data. The AI tool is open source, so anyone can inspect the code and verify Proton’s security claims. The Lumo AI is also open-source, unlike competing services like ChatGPT, Gemini, and others.
Proton also noted that Lumo for Business can help users get more work done, supporting data analysis, meeting notes summarization, document drafting, and brainstorm planning. The AI chatbot works with Proton Drive, allowing users to upload company data to the chats. Lumo for Business customers will have access to the most recent Lumo models, the fastest response times, and get priority access to the newest AI updates once they’re available.
Lumo is available on the web and via the iPhone and Android apps. Users can get started with the service without requiring any setup from IT departments.
