OpenAI: ChatGPT Sends Messages on Mac, Criticism and Concerns

OpenAI launches a plugin that allows ChatGPT to search, draft, and send messages in Apple Messages on Mac. The tool must be manually activated and only reads conversations upon request, according to the company. The launch has sparked numerous online criticisms, while some praise its utility. This new feature comes as Siri evolves and Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in July.

Access to Messages: Manual Installation and On-Demand Reading

According to OpenAI, the feature must be installed and activated by the user and does not categorize messages. The service only reads a message when prompted. The company specifies that messaging is disabled by default, just like Computer History. Despite these safeguards, users are concerned about potential access to conversations. Some users have expressed privacy reservations, with Stephen Diedrich questioning the idea of unlimited access, and Tom Goodwin deeming the use of the tool "incredibly naïve," despite his own relaxed attitude towards security.

Mixed Reactions: Threats to Block and Some Support

The launch has elicited immediate criticism and reignited the debate about the role of humans in conversations. Some believe that AI-generated messages cross a line. One user on X wrote that they would no longer speak to someone using the tool, another said they would block that contact, and yet another stated that AI-generated messages made the sender "effectively dead" to them. Danisha Carter referred to the feature as a "test open 'are you an idiot'," while Jacqueline Smith sarcastically commented on the impact of her own hostile messages towards ChatGPT.

Other voices see practical value in it. Analyst Max Weinbach describes it as a "game changer" given the volume of tasks handled via text. Yana Welinder expects to "finally" be able to find items in the "black hole" of iMessage.

What the Plugin Does: Searching, Drafting, and Sending in Messages

OpenAI has launched a plugin that allows ChatGPT to search threads, draft responses, and send messages in Apple Messages on Mac. The company suggests prompts to find birthday messages or identify spam to delete. The launch was announced on a Thursday. The module is available on desktop in Codex and in ChatGPT Work. Romain Huet proposed querying the assistant about the most frequent contacts, dominant topics, or forgotten follow-ups.

Context: Siri Deployment, Apple’s Lawsuit, and New Options

The recent messaging feature launched by OpenAI echoes the update of Siri that is currently being deployed. In July, Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for trade secret violations related to the design of its hardware device. OpenAI is also developing its features with Computer History, launched the previous week, which allows ChatGPT to retain actions taken on certain sites and applications, this feature being disabled by default. In practice, people are already drafting messages with chatbots and adding their OpenClaw agents to discussions, while emails are increasingly generated by AI and messaging is still perceived as more "human." Alexis Ohanian anticipates the emergence of verifiable social networks as human, as a growing share of exchanges takes place in discussion groups.