OpenAI Launches Computer History Feature for ChatGPT on macOS

OpenAI has introduced Computer History, a new opt-in feature for the ChatGPT desktop application on macOS. The function monitors mouse clicks and keystrokes to construct a timeline of user activity, which the system then utilises to suggest automations and assist with tasks.

Unlike Microsoft’s Windows Recall, which has faced scrutiny for its reliance on screenshots, OpenAI states that Computer History does not capture images, videos, or audio. Instead, the feature relies on event data to build the activity record.

Users retain control over the data collection process. The feature is opt-in by default, allowing individuals to exclude specific applications and websites from tracking. Users can also manually delete entries to maintain finer-grained control over their digital footprint.

Ari Weinstein, Product and Engineering manager at OpenAI, confirmed via X that the system automatically ignores content generated within incognito or private browser tabs. This exclusion helps mitigate privacy concerns associated with browsing sensitive information.

In a demonstration of the feature’s capabilities, Dominik Kundel from OpenAI’s Developer Experiences team showed the app recalling the last document edited, checking its sharing status on Slack, and providing a morning activity recap. The retrieved context allows ChatGPT and Codex to reference past activity when users make new requests.

The user actions captured by the feature are turned into training data to help the models reference past activity. However, the source material does not specify whether this data is processed locally for the personal timeline or sent to OpenAI servers for broader model improvement.

Currently, the availability of Computer History is confirmed only for the macOS desktop app. It remains unclear if the feature will be extended to Windows or Linux versions of the software in the near future.