ChatGPT can now control iMessage: Is Apple privacy at risk?

OpenAI launched support on Thursday for controlling Apple’s iMessage service through ChatGPT, sparking privacy concerns for Apple.

The new rolled-out feature is available for OpenAI chatbot on the Mac. It also allows the tech giant to take actions including reading, writing and sending text messages in a recent shake-up.

Delving deep, the feature can search through the messages and extract summaries and information related to conversation from the iPhone maker messaging app.

The feature has put the privacy of Apple at the center of discussion who has always been protective about the users’ messages contents.

But OpenAI emphasized that the tool works on user explicit consent and does not index all messages. It also runs locally on the Mac using tools like AppleScript and Accessibility.

Users must opt in through multiple menus, including enabling Full Disk Access in Mac System Settings and granting permission for contacts and automation tools.

The users are also required to change privacy-related preferences within Mac’s System Settings app, including enabling a feature Full Disk Access.

This move intensified conflict between OpenAI and Apple stemmed from a recent lawsuit where the iPhone maker company accused OpenAI of stealing trades and confidential information related to product and hardware.

Besides threatening privacy concerns, the recent integration also poses threat to Siri AI, featuring its own on-device message searching capabilities.

Apple previously blocked similar unauthorized cross-platform integrations, including shutting down Beeper Mini, which brought iMessage to Android.