CauseWriter has proudly deleted over 320M words generated by users of CauseWriter.ai since 2022.
Partial snapshot of some of the models and data over time.
Why?
We believe privacy matters and we never want chat data not intended for training to be misused by us, future owners, or any potential hackers.
Deleting chat content is our Ulysses pact to our current beliefs on how AI should and should not use data.
A Ulysses pact (or Ulysses contract) is a freely made decision that binds you to a particular course of action in the future. It’s named after the Greek hero Ulysses, who had his crew tie him to the mast of his ship so he could hear the Sirens’ song without being tempted to steer the ship toward danger.
In the context of CauseWriter.ai’s data deletion policy, this is a simple example of a modern tech Ulysses pact.
The Binding Promise
By deliberately deleting 320M words of user-generated content, the company has:
- Created an irreversible commitment to privacy
- This action prevents future temptations to monetize or repurpose this data
- Reduced the possibility of data misuse, even if company leadership or ownership changes
- Future-Proofing Ethics: In an era where data is often called “the new oil,” deliberately destroying valuable training data is a radical act of ethical commitment
- Trust Building: Shows users that privacy promises aren’t just words in a policy document
- Risk Mitigation: Protects against future security breaches by eliminating the data entirely
- Setting Industry Standards: Demonstrates that AI companies can choose privacy over potential profit
The Real-World Impact
This type of Ulysses pact is particularly relevant as AI companies face increasing pressure to collect and retain data for model training. By making this irreversible decision, CauseWriter.ai has effectively “tied itself to the mast” – ensuring it can’t be tempted by future opportunities to exploit user data, even if those opportunities might be financially beneficial.
Just as Ulysses couldn’t untie himself once he heard the Sirens’ song, CauseWriter.ai can’t recover the deleted data when future opportunities or pressures arise. That’s the power of a Ulysses pact – it protects our future selves from our potential future temptations.
