OpenAI recently rolled out "Computer History" for its ChatGPT desktop application on macOS, an opt-in feature designed to allow the AI to learn from user activity across various applications and websites. This new capability, announced in the desktop app's changelog, records interaction events such as clicks, typing, keyboard shortcuts, and app switches through macOS accessibility features. The collected data forms a searchable timeline and "memories" that ChatGPT and Codex can reference to understand user workflows, suggest automations, and assist with tasks.
Computer History is available to ChatGPT Pro, Business, and Enterprise users. For Business and Enterprise accounts, an administrator must first enable access before individual workspace members can choose to activate the feature. The feature is not currently available in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, with access expected in those regions in the coming weeks.
This new feature replaces the earlier "Chronicle" research preview, which relied on screenshots to gather context. OpenAI states that Computer History is a rebuilt system that specifically records interaction events rather than capturing screen content or audio. Private browsing activity is also excluded from collection.
Users maintain control over Computer History. It is off by default, requiring explicit user activation. Within the settings, users can specify which applications and websites contribute to their history, pause data collection at any time, and review or delete individual entries or their entire history. This granular control allows users to manage what information the AI can access.
The data collected by Computer History is temporarily stored on the user's Mac for up to 48 hours. During this period, the interaction events are processed on OpenAI's servers to generate memories. OpenAI states that these raw event data files are not retained on their servers after processing and are not used for training their models. The resulting plain-text memory files are stored locally on the user's Mac until manually deleted.
Ari Weinstein, a Product and Engineering manager at OpenAI, highlighted on X that Computer History enables ChatGPT to learn how users work, complete unfinished tasks, and propose skills and automations based on observed computer usage. For example, a user could ask ChatGPT to summarize their day's work, identify tasks they were engaged in before a break, or locate a recently viewed document. The AI can also detect repetitive workflows and suggest converting them into reusable skills or automations.
OpenAI has acknowledged potential privacy considerations. The local memory files generated by Computer History are not encrypted. This means that other programs running under the same macOS user account could potentially access these unencrypted files. The company also warns about increased prompt injection risks from malicious content within applications or websites when Computer History is enabled. OpenAI advises users to pause data collection when communicating with others without their explicit consent and to exclude applications containing sensitive information.