OpenAI rolled out support on Aug 20 for controlling Apple’s iMessage service via ChatGPT, a move with the potential to raise privacy concerns for the iPhone maker.

The new feature, available for ChatGPT on the Mac, allows the OpenAI system to take actions such as reading, writing and sending text messages. It can also search messages, and get summaries and other information about conversations from the Apple Messages app.

Apple has positioned itself as a staunch privacy advocate and is protective about the contents of users’ messages. An OpenAI tool that could upload Apple customer data to that company’s network is likely to spark questions.

An Apple representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The move comes at a time of broader tension between the two companies. Apple sued OpenAI in July, accusing the AI provider of stealing information about upcoming products.

In response to questions about the new feature, OpenAI stressed that it requires a user’s consent and does not create an index of all a user’s messages. The plug-in also runs locally on the Mac and uses existing operating-system tools, such as AppleScript and Accessibility, to work with the Messages app, OpenAI said.

There are several opt-in menus in both the ChatGPT app and Apple’s own operating system about the tie-in. When a user first sets up the integration, a permissions screen appears in ChatGPT that says the computer’s on-device message history will be accessed by the app.

-The Straits trimes