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More from Tech<\/p>\nOpenAI has introduced a Mac integration that lets ChatGPT read, search and act on conversations in Apple\u2019s Messages app with user permission. While the company says the feature operates locally and requires several opt-ins, the move could raise questions about access to sensitive personal communications. <\/p>\n
ChatGPT users on Mac can now give the AI chatbot access to Apple\u2019s Messages app, allowing it to search conversations, summarise chats and, in some cases, read, write and send text messages.<\/p>\n
The new capability, reported by Bloomberg\u2019s Mark Gurman, expands OpenAI\u2019s growing set of app integrations on macOS. But Messages is a more sensitive addition than tools such as Notes, Terminal or Xcode, as it could give an AI system access to conversations that users may consider among the most private data stored on their devices.<\/p>\n
OpenAI says the integration requires explicit permission and relies on tools already available within macOS. The company has also sought to address concerns that the feature could result in a blanket collection of users\u2019 message histories.<\/p>\n
The development nevertheless places OpenAI\u2019s ambitions alongside Apple\u2019s long-standing effort to position privacy as a central part of its product strategy.<\/p>\n
How ChatGPT\u2019s Messages integration works on Mac<\/p>\n
The integration is not switched on by default. Users who want ChatGPT to interact with Messages must go through several permission settings within both the ChatGPT app and macOS.<\/p>\n
During setup, ChatGPT displays a notice explaining that the application will be able to access message history stored on the Mac. Users must also adjust permissions in System Settings, including enabling Full Disk Access.<\/p>\n
More from Tech<\/p>\n
Additional access is required for information such as contact names and for the automation mechanisms that allow ChatGPT to perform actions within the Messages app.<\/p>\n
According to OpenAI, the integration runs locally on the Mac and uses existing macOS features, including AppleScript and Accessibility, to communicate with Messages. The company said it does not automatically build an index containing all of a user\u2019s conversations.<\/p>\n
Those safeguards are significant because access to Messages potentially exposes far more than simple text exchanges. Conversations can contain personal information, financial details, addresses, work discussions and other sensitive material. Even when access is voluntary, the feature is likely to prompt closer scrutiny over how much data an AI assistant can process and under what circumstances information may leave a user\u2019s device.<\/p>\n
Apple has already placed similar restrictions around the use of ChatGPT elsewhere in its ecosystem. OpenAI recently introduced support for analysing information from the Health app on iPhone and iPad, but Apple\u2019s operating systems require users to explicitly approve the sharing of that data.<\/p>\n
A new point of tension between Apple and OpenAI<\/p>\n
The Messages integration also arrives as the relationship between Apple and OpenAI faces broader pressure.<\/p>\n