OpenAI Ditches Recall-Style Screenshot Surveillance For Friendly Keylogging (theregister.com) 23
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: If you want to record whatever you do on a computer, send those records to OpenAI, use more ChatGPT tokens, and increase your vulnerability to prompt injection, then OpenAI has something for you. It's called Computer History, an opt-in way to record your computer interactions across apps and websites as memories organized on a timeline.
Why would you want to do so? Maybe you found Chronicle, the predecessor of Computer History which compiled similar histories using screenshots, a bit too intrusive but don't mind Computer History's approach -- recording input events and storing them unencrypted locally for 48 hours (or more), with a brief visit to OpenAI's servers. Maybe you're not bothered by the warning OpenAI includes in its documentation: "Computer History files can contain sensitive information. They are not encrypted by Computer History, and other programs running as your macOS user may be able to access them."
Perhaps, having given OpenAI's Codex and GPT Work the run of your computer, you're already sold on the suggestion that storing your computer activity in memory files and arranging those interactions in a timeline will improve ChatGPT responses, surface opportunities for automation, and make it easier to resume prior work. Computer History is, to put it bluntly, a keylogging and event capture system. "Computer History creates an interaction-event stream from allowed apps and websites," OpenAI's documentation explains. "Events can include clicks, typing, keyboard shortcuts, app switches, and context that macOS exposes through its accessibility system. Computer History periodically turns these events into text summaries and local memory files." OpenAI says the feature doesn't capture screen images, microphone input, or system audio. It also doesn't record private-mode browsing.
"Turn it off during communications with other people unless you have their prior express consent," the company advises, perhaps in acknowledgement of legal risk. "Consider pausing it or excluding apps that contain sensitive health, financial, or personal information." ChatGPT and Codex delete locally stored Computer History interaction events after 48 hours, but data sent to OpenAI to generate memories may be retained locally longer and reused in future chats.
Why would you want to do so? Maybe you found Chronicle, the predecessor of Computer History which compiled similar histories using screenshots, a bit too intrusive but don't mind Computer History's approach -- recording input events and storing them unencrypted locally for 48 hours (or more), with a brief visit to OpenAI's servers. Maybe you're not bothered by the warning OpenAI includes in its documentation: "Computer History files can contain sensitive information. They are not encrypted by Computer History, and other programs running as your macOS user may be able to access them."
Perhaps, having given OpenAI's Codex and GPT Work the run of your computer, you're already sold on the suggestion that storing your computer activity in memory files and arranging those interactions in a timeline will improve ChatGPT responses, surface opportunities for automation, and make it easier to resume prior work. Computer History is, to put it bluntly, a keylogging and event capture system. "Computer History creates an interaction-event stream from allowed apps and websites," OpenAI's documentation explains. "Events can include clicks, typing, keyboard shortcuts, app switches, and context that macOS exposes through its accessibility system. Computer History periodically turns these events into text summaries and local memory files." OpenAI says the feature doesn't capture screen images, microphone input, or system audio. It also doesn't record private-mode browsing.
"Turn it off during communications with other people unless you have their prior express consent," the company advises, perhaps in acknowledgement of legal risk. "Consider pausing it or excluding apps that contain sensitive health, financial, or personal information." ChatGPT and Codex delete locally stored Computer History interaction events after 48 hours, but data sent to OpenAI to generate memories may be retained locally longer and reused in future chats.
No Thank You, OpenAI (Score:5, Insightful)
Fuck OpenAI. Hard.
Re: No Thank You, OpenAI (Score:2)
It isn't, but I find this article extract and its tone unprofessional, so honestly I couldn't care less anymore.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
In what universe is sending your keystrokes to OpenAI even a remotely good idea? Fuck OpenAI. Hard.
Yea, I’m waiting until the free camera upgrade for the bedroom and bathroom comes with the service.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Also, everyone looks, so demands for preferential treatment and additional 'protection' is additional evidence of hypocrisy.
Re: No Thank You, OpenAI (Score:2)
Yeah but instead the people we most need to keep tabs on will always be exempted
Re: (Score:2)
nah, what WOULD happen is the use of this data to force people to comply to some moral/religious/freaky nutbag's idea of appropriate. why? because thats the way enshitification rolls. nothing good can happen it can only bad happen, until we get the fuck off the toilet and make a difference.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
In a universe full of gullible fools that think they are participating in the future...
Re: (Score:2)
they are, it is just a dystopia.
Re: (Score:2)
No argument from me about that.
Well ok then (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Odd writing style. (Score:2)
Microsoft is evil and stupid (Score:2)
And even they had the sense to attempt to encrypt their shitty feature locally. Like seriously WTF is OpenAI thinking?
Re: Microsoft is evil and stupid (Score:2)
They weren't smart enough to encrypt passwords in edge's memory...
Re: (Score:2)
Honestly, I think they just do not care. The majority of their users are dumb as fuck and accept bad UIs, bad security, bad reliability and think they are doing fine.
Re: (Score:2)
All true. Speaking of which, does anyone actually trust Microsoft not to backdoor encryption? :)
Re: (Score:2)
Speaking of which, does anyone actually trust Microsoft not to backdoor encryption? :)
They do not even need to. They have screwed up cryptographic architecture, design and implementation so many times now, whatever they do can be regarded as reliably insecure.
Point is? (Score:2)