OpenAI launches ChatGPT plug-in for Apple Messages

OpenAI has launched a new plug-in that connects ChatGPT to Apple's Messages app, allowing interested users to link their text inbox directly to the chatbot. The company says the integration offers several benefits for users who choose to enable it.

What the plug-in does

With the plug-in, users can sort, analyze or edit their messages straight from ChatGPT. The feature also works with Codex and ChatGPT Work, meaning it can be used for professional purposes as well as personal ones.

A short promotional video for the new plug-in shows a user asking the chatbot to suggest follow-up replies to contacts based on messages received the previous day. Beyond that, users can ask ChatGPT to delete messages, draft and send texts on their behalf, or search through their message history for specific information.

Privacy concerns

As with most AI-related features, the new plug-in has raised privacy questions. OpenAI told Bloomberg that the plug-in runs locally on a user's device and does not create an index of all of a person's messages, though exactly what that means in practice remains unclear. TechCrunch has reportedly asked OpenAI for further clarification.

Regarding the message-sending capability, OpenAI is urging users to monitor what ChatGPT does on their behalf and is advising against enabling persistent approval for sending messages. The company warns that doing so removes a user's final opportunity to review a message before ChatGPT sends it under their name.