ChatGPT Mac Plugin: iMessage Access & Full Disk Dangers

A new ChatGPT plugin for Mac can access messages, including iMessage, SMS, and RCS conversations. This feature, launched on August 20th, allows ChatGPT to search, summarize, draft, and send messages. Here's the thing: The plugin requires more than just message access. It needs contacts, automation tools, and Full Disk Access on a Mac. Full Disk Access lets an authorized app get to protected files and data that are normally restricted. This means it could work with years of conversation history, depending on user settings. OpenAI states the plugin runs locally and doesn't create an index of all messages. Message content is only pulled when a user asks ChatGPT to perform a relevant task. However, automated redaction might not remove all sensitive information. What's interesting is that while ChatGPT can draft messages, a known issue could turn off the prompt asking users to approve sending. OpenAI advises against disabling this approval. The bottom line: This plugin highlights the importance of understanding what information becomes available when using AI with personal communications, impacting not just the user but everyone in their conversations.