Apple wasn’t joking when it warned us that competitors want access to our most private data. Now, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has introduced a new plugin that can control Apple’s Messages app on Macs. This follows the earlier introduction of a new Computer History feature that monitors what you do on your Mac. And while I don’t think Apple will challenge the new feature — yet — on the Mac, I do see trouble ahead on other platforms.
So, what’s ChatGPT’s new thing? Its latest tool means you can use the tool to read, write and send texts via Messages. The app can also search through messages and get message summaries and other information directly from Messages.
What is happening?
“The Apple Messages plugin is available on all plans in the ChatGPT desktop app for macOS,” says OpenAI. “In Codex and ChatGPT Work, it can read and search iMessage, SMS, and RCS chats on your Mac and send messages on your behalf through the Messages app. It doesn’t let you interact with ChatGPT remotely through Messages, and it doesn’t work in regular ChatGPT chats.”
So, if you’ve ever wanted an AI system to go through all your messages to pluck out insights, you’re in luck (though you’ll probably want to check in with corporate legal before doing so). The system does require user consent before working, and OpenAI itself suggests such permission is given only on a per-use, rather than a blanket basis.
