ChatGPT Mac App: AI Reads & Replies to iMessages

AI can now read your iMessages and reply on your behalf without permission. This is due to a new ChatGPT integration for Mac users. The desktop app can read your iMessage history, search conversations, and make summaries. While outgoing messages are supposed to require human approval, users can turn this safety guardrail off. What's more concerning is a known defect in the system. OpenAI admits certain tasks can bypass the approval prompt and send messages without your permission. The company launched the feature despite this unpatched bug. This creates a problem because iMessage history is stored locally, and an app with the right macOS permissions can read it. There are also concerns about privacy for other participants in conversations, who did not consent to their messages being read or summarized by AI. This development highlights potential privacy and security risks with AI agents.