- Proton has launched Lumo, a privacy-focused AI chatbot that stores data locally and uses zero-access encryption to ensure only users can access their content.
- Lumo can perform tasks such as summarizing documents, generating code, writing emails, and analyzing uploaded files without retaining any user data.
- The chatbot is powered by open-source language models like Mistral’s Nemo, Nvidia’s OpenHands 32B, and OLMO 2 32B, with each model handling queries based on its strengths.
- Lumo is available via web and mobile apps, with limited access for non-registered users and a $12.99/month Lumo Plus plan offering expanded features and unlimited usage.
Proton, the Swiss-based company known for its encrypted email service Proton Mail, has introduced a new privacy-focused AI assistant called Lumo.
Designed to uphold strict data protection standards, Lumo offers users advanced capabilities like summarizing documents, generating code, composing emails, and analyzing files—all while keeping user data secure and private.
What sets Lumo apart is Proton’s commitment to “zero-access” encryption, a system that ensures only users have the decryption key to access their conversations and files. This means even Proton cannot read or use the data stored on its servers.
The company emphasizes that no part of a user’s interaction with Lumo is harvested for advertising, surveillance, or AI training purposes.
While Lumo includes the option to search the web, Proton disables this feature by default to maintain maximum privacy. If users choose to enable web search, it uses privacy-friendly engines.
Additionally, users can upload files for Lumo to analyze without fear of data retention. Files from Proton Drive can also be linked to the chatbot and remain end-to-end encrypted during use.
CEO and founder Andy Yen criticized how larger tech companies are leveraging AI to collect user data, stating, “Big Tech is using AI to supercharge the collection of sensitive user data to accelerate the world’s transition to surveillance capitalism. Our vision for Lumo is AI that puts people ahead of profits.”
Lumo is powered by a combination of open-source large language models that run on Proton’s European servers. These include Mistral’s Nemo, Mistral Small 3, Nvidia’s OpenHands 32B, and the Allen Institute for AI’s OLMO 2 32B.
According to Proton spokesperson Betsy Jones, the system intelligently routes queries to the most suitable model—for instance, coding queries are handled by OpenHands, which specializes in programming tasks.
Lumo is now available at lumo.proton.me and through dedicated apps for iOS and Android. Non-registered users can ask a limited number of questions each week but cannot access previous conversations. Free account holders can view encrypted chat histories, upload small files, and save a limited number of favorite chats.
Proton also offers a Lumo Plus subscription for $12.99 per month, unlocking unlimited chats, extended encrypted history, unlimited favorites, and support for larger file uploads.
With Lumo, Proton aims to offer a secure alternative to mainstream AI assistants from companies like OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft—without compromising on privacy.
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