OpenAI has rolled out a new update for the ChatGPT app on macOS. On Thursday, the company announced that its popular AI chatbot now works with several note-taking and coding applications. This new feature, described by OpenAI as agentic, allows ChatGPT to access on-screen information in these supported apps and assist users with their questions in real-time. Currently, this feature is only available to paid customers of ChatGate, which includes Plus, Pro, Teams, Enterprise, and Edu plans. However, OpenAI has assured free tier and Windows users that they won’t be left behind for long. This update will be released for them sometime next year.

OpenAI revealed this update as part of its 12-day shipping event, where the company is releasing new features and improvements for its platforms daily. The announcement was made via a post on 11th DayX, formerly known as Twitter. Kevin Weil, chief product officer at OpenAI, shared additional details about the feature, emphasizing that ChatGPT can now work with about 30 macOS apps. Those supported include Apple Notes, BBEdit, VSCode Insiders, Notion, Quip, and more specialized coding apps like MatLab, IntelliJ IDEA, and PyCharm.

So, whether you’re jotting down ideas in a note-taking app or debugging code in developer tools, ChatGPT can now assist users without the need to switch between applications. Here’s how it works – Once the feature is activated, users can open any supported app and use the shortcut Option + Space. This opens a compact ChatGPT window that appears over the app. The AI ​​can then see the same information that the user sees on the screen. From there, users can interact with ChatGPT by typing questions or using the advanced voice mode. For example, if a user highlights a specific section of text or code in the app, they can use natural language commands like “How can I improve this?” You can ask for help from ChatGPT by using or “What does this code do?” The chatbot understands the context and responds accordingly. This makes it easier for users to get real-time feedback or clarification without disrupting their workflow.

While OpenAI calls this feature “agentic,” the technology behind it is more vision-based. ChatGPT doesn’t actually interact with the apps themselves – it can’t write new text, edit code, or make changes to any existing content. Its role is purely advisory, based on what is seen on the screen.

Privacy has been a top concern for OpenAI with this update. Users will have full control over when and which apps ChatGPT can access. OpenAI has also assured users that the data collected during these interactions will be handled just like any other data in their conversation history.