ChatGPT’s Mac app is getting an upgrade with new coding and note-taking features
- OpenAI has introduced new features for the ChatGPT macOS app.
- Advanced voice mode allows users to interact with ChatGPT via voice commands.
- ChatGPT’s “Work with Apps” feature allows it to communicate directly with coding and note-taking apps.
For day 11 of the 12 days of OpenAI, the company has moved from the landline to your computer, specifically macOS. OpenAI CPO Kevin Weil demonstrated how Mac owners using the ChatGPT desktop app will find it floating on their screen like a friendly digital sidekick.
There’s no need to even type requests for it, thanks to the addition of Advanced Speech Mode now in the desktop app. You can just speak out loud and ChatGPT will fulfill your requests even while you are doing other things. Instead of switching tabs or opening a browser, you can call ChatGPT when you need to compose an email, brainstorm ideas, or fix code.
Speaking of coding, thanks to the new ‘Work with Apps’ feature, ChatGPT revolves around many apps on your computer, especially for coding. You can give it access to apps on your Mac, and it will look in, understand what’s going on, and offer a helping hand.
Let’s say you’re using a code editor like Warp and you’re staring at a long, confusing list of code. Instead of scrolling endlessly, you can ask ChatGPT to analyze what’s on the screen and it will provide suggestions, explanations, or even write new code snippets. OpenAI demonstrated how this was done by asking ChatGPT to write code directly into Xcode, Apple’s app development tool.
Notes for the holidays
The apps ChatGPT works with aren’t limited to encryption services either. The AI assistant writes in English and programming languages directly in apps such as Apple Notes, Quip and Notion. If you’re planning a trip and are using Notion to write down ideas, you can ask ChatGPT to help you develop them, including citing sources from the web.
If you are a Mac user, the new features are all available. For Windows users, an update to the existing app is coming soon, although OpenAI hasn’t given a specific time frame.
This isn’t the dramatic announcements of some of the previous days, but it shows OpenAI’s vision for ChatGPT spreading beyond the chat window. The AI could become a much more active collaborative partner, able to combine the powers of multiple apps into one convenient package. This is what OpenAI calls the “agentic” approach to AI, where ChatGPT performs tasks on your behalf and takes some of the workload off your shoulders.
With one day to go, let’s see if OpenAI can close with as much excitement as they started. It has to be better than the last verse of the song. No one wants to take home twelve drumming drummers, but a brand new AI model could be a nice addition.