Hajra Naz
Have you ever wanted to share all your digital conversations directly with OpenAI? If so, there’s news for you. The AI lab just launched a new plug-in. It connects Apple Messages with ChatGPT. Interested users can now link their Messages inbox directly to the chatbot.
OpenAI argues this integration offers real benefits. Users can rely on the plug-in for several tasks. That includes sorting messages. It includes analyzing them. It also includes editing messages directly from within ChatGPT. This plug-in isn’t limited to personal use, either. It also works with Codex and ChatGPT Work. That means users can apply it professionally, not just in their personal lives.
OpenAI released a brief commercial promoting this new feature. In the ad, a user asks ChatGPT for help. Specifically, they want suggested follow-up messages for their contacts. Those suggestions are based on messages received the previous day.
Read More: OpenAI Launches ChatGPT for Teens With Parental Controls and Homework Limits
The plug-in offers several other capabilities too. Users can ask ChatGPT to delete messages on their behalf. They can have it draft and send messages for them directly. They can also use it to search through their message history. That’s especially useful for finding information buried deep in old conversations.
As with most AI features these days, this one raises real privacy questions. OpenAI addressed some of these concerns directly with Bloomberg. The company said the plug-in runs locally on a user’s own device. According to OpenAI, it “doesn’t create an index of all someone’s messages.” Still, the exact meaning behind that statement isn’t entirely clear.
There’s specific guidance around message sending too. OpenAI encourages users to actively monitor what ChatGPT is doing. The company discourages a specific setting: persistent approval.
According to OpenAI, turning that setting on removes an important safeguard. Specifically, it removes a user’s final chance to review a message. That review would normally happen before ChatGPT sends anything on their behalf, the company explains in its documentation.
