What can ChatGPT see on your computer?

ChatGPT is gaining ever more ability to work directly with applications and files, which raises the question of how much it can actually see on the user’s computer. The answer depends on which features are enabled and what permissions it has been given.

One of the new features is Computer History, available in the ChatGPT desktop app for macOS. It enables ChatGPT and Codex to use selected data about activity in applications and browsers, so that the user can continue work without having to explain the context again. This feature is optional and is disabled by default.

According to OpenAI, Computer History does not record screenshots or video. The feature records interaction events with applications and websites, while private browsing is not included.

The user can pause the feature, choose which applications and websites are included in the history, and view or delete the stored data.

Depending on the product, plan and enabled features, ChatGPT and Codex can work with local context, files and applications.

Particularly important is the Computer Use feature, which enables Codex, on supported systems, to see applications, click and enter text in them. In this way, artificial intelligence can interact directly with the computer while carrying out a task.

However, this does not mean that ChatGPT automatically gains access to the whole computer simply by installing the app. The capabilities depend on the specific feature, the permissions and the settings of the user or administrator.

ChatGPT can see the screen only when a feature that gives it this access is used. Computer Use is designed precisely to enable the AI to interact with the graphical interface, including moving the cursor, clicking and entering text.

Therefore, the fact that the ChatGPT desktop app is installed on a computer does not mean that it constantly sees what the user has on the screen.

Users can check which features and permissions are enabled. If they do not want Computer History to be used, the feature can remain disabled, while for features such as Computer Use the permissions should be checked before activation.

In conclusion, ChatGPT can go beyond reading what the user types in the chat: it can use selected activity history, work with files and, with the relevant permissions, interact with applications. However, the claim that ChatGPT simply “sees everything you do on your computer” is not accurate.