How Does API Access Impact Privacy for Playground Assistant Mode vs Chat Messages?

Below is some clarification based on OpenAI’s documentation:

1. Viewing Chat vs. Assistant Mode Messages

• Assistant Mode (Playground):
  The note “Playground messages can be viewed by anyone at your organization using the API” applies specifically to messages created in the Assistant mode within the Playground. These messages are stored as project objects that are accessible via the API by anyone holding an API key for your project.

• Chat Interface (non-Assistant mode):
  The documentation does not indicate that messages from alternative chat interfaces (separate from the Assistant mode in the Playground) are stored in the same way or automatically exposed via the API. In other words, unless those messages are explicitly saved as project objects (for example, via API calls or if that interface uses the same underlying storage mechanism), they are not necessarily accessible to everyone in the organization.

2. Link Between the Label and API Storage

• Project Objects and API Access:
  When you interact with the Playground in Assistant mode, the messages you generate become part of your project’s data (e.g., Assistants, Threads, Messages). According to the guidance, anyone with API key access to your project can read those stored objects. This is why the label warns that Playground messages are not private within an organization.

• No Additional API Usage Needed:
  Even if your team isn’t explicitly “saving” anything through dedicated API scripts or making API calls outside the Playground, the interactions in Assistant mode are still recorded as part of your project’s resources. As such, they remain accessible to others with API key access—even without extra API usage.

Sharing the Right Information

For confidentiality within your team, the key points are:

• Only messages that are stored as project objects (like those generated in Assistant mode) are accessible via the API.
• To prevent unauthorized access, control who has API key access to your project.
• The Chat interface (outside of Assistant mode) is generally not documented as persisting messages in the same way, so it may not be subject to the same exposure warning.

By explaining these details, your team can better understand that it isn’t the act of chatting per se, but how and where the messages are stored that determines their visibility within your organization.