Proton , the company known for its commitment to privacy with Proton Mail , has announced the launch of Lumo , a new AI chatbot designed from the ground up with privacy in mind . Lumo comes as an alternative to the big names in AI — like ChatGPT , Google Gemini , Meta AI , and Microsoft Copilot — and promises a user experience that doesn’t compromise digital privacy.
Privacy by design: How Lumo works
Unlike most commercial chatbots, Lumo does not store data on Proton’s servers. Instead, it implements local storage on the user’s device, and relies on zero-access encryption, a technology that ensures that third parties, including Proton, do not have access to user content. The data can only be decrypted by the user themselves, with their unique key. This helps ensure that Proton cannot share user data with advertisers or governments or use it to train large language models.
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The assistant is capable of performing functions such as code generation, document summarization, email composition, file analysis, and even linking to files in Proton Drive — all with end-to-end encryption. It is worth noting that web search is disabled by default for privacy reasons. When enabled, searches are only performed through privacy-friendly search engines.
Response to surveillance capitalism
In an era where AI has become a tool for commercial data collection, Proton is attempting to strategically differentiate itself. The company’s CEO, Andy Yen, said: “Big tech companies are using AI to accelerate the collection of sensitive user data, accelerating the world’s transition to surveillance capitalism. Our vision for Lumo is AI that puts people above profits.”
With this philosophy, Proton hopes to create a new way of operating for AI, one that prioritizes anonymity, data sovereignty , and the conscious use of technology.
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Open source and European hospitality: A diverse AI ecosystem
Proton bases its AI chatbot Lumo on open-source large language models (LLMs) running on European servers . Models used include Mistral’s Nemo, Mistral Small 3, Nvidia’s OpenHands 32B , and OLMO 2 32B .
The system is designed to select the appropriate model for each query. For example, programming requests are executed by OpenHands, which specializes in software development tasks.
Available access and subscription model
Lumo is already available at lumo.proton.me, as well as as an app for iOS and Android. Visitors without an account can use the chatbot for a limited number of questions per week and do not have access to their chat history. Users with a free account get access to an encrypted chat history and can upload small files.
For more demanding users, Proton offers Lumo Plus at $12.99/month, which provides:
- Unlimited conversations
- Extensive history
- Ability to save favorites
- Support for large files
Can Proton change the game in AI?
Proton’s initiative to bring AI chatbot Lumo is not just technical. It’s ideological and political. In a world where AI often presupposes data sharing for convenience and functionality, Proton is making a bold proposition: that privacy is not an obstacle, but a foundation for technological innovation.
See also: Chatbot encouraged teenager to kill his parents
It's true that Lumo doesn't yet have the superpowers of top AI models, but for a privacy-conscious audience that wants more control, it could be a viable alternative.
This move may signal the beginning of a new era in AI, where trust and transparency take on greater value.
Source: www.theverge.com
