OpenAI Launches ChatGPT iMessage Search – Users Push Back

OpenAI released a plugin for Apple Messages on Thursday that lets ChatGPT search through text messages, draft replies, and send them. The feature, available on Mac, requires explicit installation and only reads messages when a user prompts it, an OpenAI representative said.

Reaction was immediate. Some users called the integration a breach of personal communication. "If I find out that AI has been texting me on your behalf, I will never speak to you again," one X user wrote. Another said she would block the contact of anyone using the feature.

Not everyone objected. Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach called it a "game changer" for the amount of work he does over text. Yana Welinder said she would "actually be able to find things in the black hole of iMessage now."

The launch is part of a broader push by OpenAI to expand the data its models can access. Last week, the company rolled out Computer History, which lets ChatGPT learn from actions taken on some apps and websites. Like the messages feature, it is off by default.

Privacy concerns dominated the discussion. Stephen Diedrich asked whether giving ChatGPT "unfettered access to EVERYTHING" was wise. Tom Goodwin said he generally has a "very very relaxed sense of security" but that using the feature seemed "incredibly naive."

The move also puts OpenAI in closer competition with Apple's own AI plans. In July, Apple filed a trade-secrets lawsuit against OpenAI over the development of its hardware device. Apple's new Siri update, rolling out slowly, includes similar messaging capabilities.

Romain Huet, OpenAI's head of developer experience, gave examples of what users could ask ChatGPT: "Ask it who you talk to most, what you talk about, or what you forgot to follow up on!"

The feature is available now in ChatGPT Work on desktop. It is not enabled by default, and OpenAI said it does not index message content without user prompts.