OpenAI rolled out support on Thursday for controlling Apple Inc.'s iMessage service via ChatGPT, a move with the potential to raise privacy concerns for the iPhone maker. According to reports from Business Standard and Bloomberg, the new feature allows the OpenAI system to take actions such as reading, writing and sending text messages, as well as search through messages and get summaries and other information about conversations from the Apple Messages app. The feature is available exclusively for ChatGPT on Mac computers, marking a significant expansion of the AI tool's capabilities beyond its traditional text generation functions.
In response to questions about the new feature, OpenAI stressed that it requires a user's consent and doesn't create an index of all someone's messages. According to Bloomberg, the plug-in runs locally on the Mac and uses existing operating system tools, such as AppleScript and Accessibility, to work with the Messages app. When a user first sets up the integration, a permissions screen appears in ChatGPT that says the computer's on-device message history will be accessed by the app. Users are also required to change privacy-related preferences within the Mac's System Settings app, including enabling a feature named Full Disk Access. Additionally, users need to give ChatGPT permission to access the names of contacts and automation tools, similar to the settings required for popular AI-based automation software like Codex Computer Use.
Apple has positioned itself as a staunch privacy advocate, and it's protective about the contents of users' messages. As reported by Business Standard and Bloomberg, an OpenAI tool that could upload Apple customer data to that company's network is likely to spark questions. An Apple representative didn't immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the new feature. The move comes at a time when Apple has been particularly sensitive about third-party access to its messaging platform, having previously shut down similar applications that attempted to provide iMessage functionality to non-Apple devices.
The move comes at a time of broader tension between the two companies. As reported by Business Standard and Bloomberg, Apple sued OpenAI last month, accusing the AI provider of stealing information about upcoming products. The new OpenGPT feature also threatens to encroach on the territory of the upcoming Siri AI, which has the ability to comb through users' messages and other content on devices. This development adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing relationship between the two technology giants, particularly given Apple's recent legal action against OpenAI.
In the past, Apple has sought to block similar types of features. According to Business Standard, in one recent example, Apple shut down an app called Beeper Mini that helped bring iMessage to Android. ChatGPT already works with other Mac apps, including the Xcode programming suite, Notes and Terminal, though those tie-ins are less likely to upset Apple's privacy managers and marketing teams than an unofficial Messages integration. The new iMessage control feature represents a significant escalation in the integration between third-party AI tools and Apple's core messaging platform.
