OpenAI has issued an replace to its ChatGPT app for Mac, after a developer found the app was domestically storing customers’ conversations with the chatbot in plain textual content.

Pedro José Pereira Vieito instructed The Verge‘s Jay Peters: “I used to be interested in why OpenAI opted out of utilizing the app sandbox protections and ended up checking the place they saved the app knowledge.”

That led Pereira Vieito to develop “ChatGPTStealer,” a easy app to exhibit how simple it’s to load the chats in a textual content window exterior of the ChatGPT app. After efficiently making an attempt out the app for himself, Peters mentioned he was additionally capable of see the textual content of conversations on his laptop simply by altering the file identify, indicating the extent of the privateness threat.

The ChatGPT Mac app is offered solely by way of OpenAI’s web site, which is why it has not been obligated to comply with Apple’s sandboxing necessities that apply to software program distributed through the Mac App Retailer. The oversight mainly meant another working app or course of may doubtlessly entry the ChatGPT conversations with out prompting the person for permission.

After The Verge contacted OpenAI in regards to the difficulty, the corporate launched an replace that it says encrypts the chats. “We’re conscious of this difficulty and have shipped a brand new model of the appliance which encrypts these conversations,” OpenAI spokesperson Taya Christianson instructed the web site. “We’re dedicated to offering a useful person expertise whereas sustaining our excessive safety requirements as our know-how evolves.”

After downloading the replace (v1.2024.171), Pereira Vieito’s app now not works, and Peters mentioned he was now not capable of see his conversations with the chatbot in plain textual content.

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