The creators of Proton Mail, Proton VPN, and Proton Pass have officially entered the generative AI race with a powerful statement: Privacy is not optional. Today, Swiss-based company Proton launched Lumo, an open-source, privacy-first AI assistant built as a direct and secure alternative to mainstream AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude.

At its core, Lumo is designed to protect user data — not harvest it. Unlike many other generative AI models that continuously train on user interactions, Proton says Lumo’s architecture ensures that no user data is stored, shared, or used for model training. All conversations are encrypted using Proton’s signature zero-access encryption, meaning only the user can access the content of their chats, and not even Proton’s servers can decrypt them.

“Big Tech is using AI to supercharge the collection of sensitive user data and accelerate surveillance capitalism,” said Andy Yen, Founder and CEO of Proton. “We believe AI can be ethical and responsible. Lumo is our step toward a future where AI serves users, not exploits them.”

How Lumo Works:

Lumo is currently available for free via web and mobile apps (iOS and Android). For users seeking enhanced features, Proton has introduced a Lumo Plus subscription at $13/month or $120/year. The premium tier unlocks:

• Unlimited chats and chat favorites

• Extended chat history

• File upload capabilities (including large and multiple files)

• Seamless integration with Proton Drive, the company’s secure cloud storage alternative to Google Drive

Search, But Safely

While Lumo doesn’t search the internet by default, users can choose to enable real-time web search powered by what Proton describes as “privacy-friendly” search engines. Though the company hasn’t disclosed specific engines yet, this feature allows Lumo to fetch current information without compromising privacy.

Lumo can assist with a variety of tasks — from rewriting emails, answering questions, summarizing PDFs, to offering programming help. It even accepts audio input, enhancing its accessibility and usability.

Why Lumo Is Different:

Beyond encryption and privacy policies, Lumo stands out due to Proton’s Swiss jurisdiction — a country known for strong privacy laws and independence from surveillance alliances like Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, or 14 Eyes. This makes it an appealing choice for users with sensitive needs, such as journalists, whistleblowers, political dissidents, and those living under repressive regimes.

Additionally, Lumo is completely open-source, just like other Proton services. This means developers and security researchers can freely inspect its code, ensuring transparency and helping detect vulnerabilities. This step is a major confidence booster in a space where trust and accountability are often questioned.

Final Thoughts:

With Lumo, Proton is not just launching another AI chatbot — it’s offering a bold reimagining of what AI can be when built on ethics, privacy, and transparency. As users grow increasingly wary of how Big Tech handles their personal information, Lumo arrives as a much-needed alternative.

Whether you're seeking a secure AI assistant for day-to-day tasks or simply want peace of mind that your conversations won’t be monetized, Lumo could be the privacy-first revolution AI has been waiting for.

Stay tuned as Lumo’s development progresses, and more features — potentially including multilingual support and collaborative tools — come into play.