OpenAI introduces ChatGPT ‘Computer History’ for macOS

OpenAI has introduced a new feature for its macOS ChatGPT application called ‘Computer History’. This tool tracks user activities, including mouse clicks, keyboard presses, shortcuts, and transitions between applications, to create a timeline of actions. The goal is to allow ChatGPT to better understand user workflows, suggest automations, and assist with unfinished tasks.

Unlike Microsoft’s Windows Recall, which relies on frequent screenshots, ‘Computer History’ does not record images, videos, or audio. Instead, it converts user actions into a timeline. The feature is currently available to Pro users on Apple Mac computers who have the ‘desktop memory’ option enabled. Users can opt out of tracking specific apps or websites, and activity in private browsing windows is excluded.

Privacy concerns have been raised regarding data security. While OpenAI states that the activity timeline is stored in local files and deleted after 48 hours, the company has warned that these local files are not encrypted. This means other programs running under the same macOS user account could potentially access them. OpenAI processes the data temporarily to enable ChatGPT’s memory but claims it does not retain the original source files after processing.