In an era dominated by surveillance capitalism and data-hungry AI platforms, Proton introduces a breath of fresh air — a secure, intelligent assistant that respects your privacy without compromise. The newly unveiled Lumo 1.1 isn’t just smarter — it’s an audacious statement that cutting-edge AI and unyielding confidentiality can coexist.
A Beacon in the Privacy Landscape
When Proton launched Lumo in July 2025, it signaled a bold departure from mainstream AI assistants. Purpose-built for privacy, Lumo stores no logs, uses zero-access encryption, and operates exclusively on open-source language models hosted in European data centers. Its architecture ensures not even Proton can access your conversations — everything stays encrypted, secure, and yours alone.
In a landscape where AI often pays for its sophistication by sacrificing user data, Proton’s values shine through a UX inspired by calm transparency. The name Lumo, deriving from the Latin lumen (“light”), symbolizes clarity, and is embodied in a warm, purple-cat mascot — curious, respectful, and always on your side.
Lumo 1.1: New Heights in Private AI
On August 21, 2025, Proton rolled out Lumo 1.1 — a substantial upgrade that brought faster, smarter, and more reliable responses while retaining its privacy-first DNA.
Powered by upgraded models and GPU enhancements, Lumo 1.1 delivers remarkable performance gains:
- Context comprehension improved by 170%, helping it better understand your documents and detailed queries.
- Coding accuracy rose by 40%, yielding more precise and useful code generation.
- Multi-step reasoning and planning showed over 200% improvement, making complicated tasks feel seamless.
The enhanced version also features better awareness of current events, reduced hallucinations, and keener accuracy — all without sacrificing end-to-end encryption or data sovereignty.
Did they compromise on transparency to achieve this? Not at all. Proton released the mobile app code and shared its security model publicly, reinforcing trust through openness.
Trust and Transparency: A Complex Promise
Yet, not all feedback has been entirely glowing. Some users raised concerns about Lumo’s “open source” claim, noting the source code was not immediately available at launch. Support clarified that making the code fully open is a long-term goal, which left some users feeling uneasy, especially from a company that has built its brand on trust.
Still, this push-and-pull is part of Proton’s commitment to balance user needs with responsible product development. The company continues to work toward greater transparency, and Lumo 1.1 shows progress in both performance and openness.
Proton’s Strategic Shift Amid Privacy Challenges
Lumo’s launch and upgrade come amid broader privacy challenges for Proton. Facing proposed surveillance law changes in Switzerland, Proton moved Lumo’s infrastructure to Germany — with plans for further expansion to Norway — as a safeguard against potential legal encroachments. This move underscores Proton’s proactive stance in defending user privacy, regardless of geopolitical shifts.
Looking Forward
Lumo 1.1 marks more than a product upgrade — it heralds a vision: powerful, general-purpose AI that doesn’t cost you your privacy. With enhanced reasoning, better coding capabilities, and smarter responses, all secured under encryption with no compromises, Proton shows it’s possible to challenge Big Tech on terms of both intelligence and integrity.
Proton promises swift iteration—with Lumo 1.2 expected as soon as next month, potentially bringing even more community-requested features.
Final Word
Lumo 1.1 stands at the crossroads of innovation and ethics. It shows us we don’t have to choose between intelligence and privacy. And though transparency around its codebase could still improve, Lumo’s evolution is a compelling testament: AI that truly serves you — without watching.
