2 weeks ago
ChatGPT's Computer History on Mac tracks activity, raising privacy questions
ChatGPT is a computer helper that people talk to on their computers.
Now, people who use ChatGPT on a Mac can turn on a new feature called Computer History.
This feature remembers some of the things people do in other apps and on websites, like clicking and typing.
It does not take pictures of the screen or record audio.
If someone forgets what they were doing yesterday, they can ask ChatGPT and it can help them find it.
The feature is optional, which means people have to turn it on themselves.
The recorded history stays on the Mac, and people can look at it or delete it.
Some people worry that ChatGPT is getting to see too much private activity, especially on work computers.
OpenAI says the feature gives people control and is different from other tools that capture screenshots.
OpenAI has launched a macOS feature called Computer History that records interaction events from apps and websites to help ChatGPT answer questions about past work.
The optional feature is available to Pro, Business and Enterprise customers and stays disabled until users choose to enable it.
Unlike Microsoft's Recall, Computer History does not take screenshots or record audio; it collects clicks, typing and app switching.
Activity data is stored locally and can be inspected or deleted, though ChatGPT still uses derived information to answer questions.
The feature is rolling out globally now, with customers in the European Economic Area, UK and Switzerland gaining access in the coming weeks.
- Who
- OpenAI and ChatGPT Pro, Business and Enterprise customers using Macs
- What
- ChatGPT's new Computer History feature records app and website interactions to help users recover lost work context
- Where
- Macs (macOS), as part of a global rollout
- When
- Announced and rolling out globally now, with EEA, UK and Switzerland customers gaining access in the coming weeks
- Why
- To help users remember previous work activity and to let agents create skills from workflows or automate recurring tasks
Privacy advocates
OpenAI and productivity-focused users
Privacy vs. convenience
Privacy advocates
Computer History gives ChatGPT a broad view of a person's digital activity, raising privacy concerns even though the data is stored locally.
OpenAI and productivity-focused users
The optional, locally stored feature helps users recover lost context, such as what they were debugging or where they stopped on a pull request.
Workplace monitoring
Privacy advocates
On company-managed Macs, the feature raises questions about whether monitoring or data access is appropriate for workplace devices.
OpenAI and productivity-focused users
The feature is useful for people who move between tools such as Slack, Google Docs and browser tabs, and users can exclude apps and pause it.
Key facts
- Feature name
- Computer History
- Platform
- macOS (Mac computers)
- Availability
- ChatGPT Pro, Business and Enterprise customers
- Data captured
- Interaction events including clicks, typing and app switching
- Not captured
- Screenshots or audio
- Storage
- Local; users can inspect and delete recorded history
- Opt-in
- Disabled until enabled; apps and websites can be excluded, menu bar control pauses it
- Rollout
- Global now; EEA, UK and Switzerland in coming weeks
Quotes
OpenAI executive Dominik Kundel
OpenAI executive
“Users could ask an agent to create a skill from something they had just done or prepare a regular team update”
firstpost.com
“ChatGPT can then use the stored history to locate relevant files, documents or conversations”
firstpost.com
Sources
Related news
Altman Says ChatGPT Could Soon Watch Screens, Meetings, Emails
ChatGPT Gains Mac Texting Access, Raising Privacy Concerns
ChatGPT Adds Apple Messages Integration for Mac With AI Replies
Grok Bot Can See, Click and Type in Early Beta
Claude Cowork and Chat Merge Memory for Smoother Workflows
Meta Launches Mac AI App With Screen Sharing Tools
Dasun Shanaka Returns for Sri Lanka’s England ODI Series
India Rejects AI as Author While Protecting Human-Created Copyright
Miliband Threatens West Bank Sanctions as Israel Warns Britain
BCCI Summons Gambhir, Agarkar, Laxman Over India’s Cricket Setbacks
Ikea cuts European prices as cost pressures weaken demand
