ChatGPT Plus Gets Record Mode on Mac for Meeting Transcription

[MacRumors]

OpenAI has expanded access to Record Mode in ChatGPT for macOS, bringing the AI-powered transcription feature to Plus subscribers after its initial rollout to business users last month.

The new capability adds a simple "Record" button to the input window in the desktop app that allows you to capture both microphone and system audio during meetings or calls.

When recording stops, ChatGPT processes the audio on OpenAI's servers, generating structured notes complete with summaries, action items, and timestamped references. Microphone and system audio permissions must be enabled by the user first.

Sessions are limited to 120 minutes, with the original audio deleted after transcription. It's likely to be a convenient addition for some paying ChatGPT users, but the feature raises privacy considerations that the company openly acknowledges:

"Please make sure you check local laws and always get the right consents before recording others," the company warns in its documentation.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1945547821626913059

OpenAI also says that notes and transcripts from record mode can be referenced in new chats and my be used to improve its models, though this can be disabled in the app's settings. Team, Enterprise, and Edu workspaces are all automatically excluded from model training by default.

The feature remains exclusive to macOS for now, with no immediate plans announced for Windows or mobile platforms. Team, Enterprise, and Education workspace administrators can disable the feature through ChatGPT's settings if needed.

Article Link: ChatGPT Plus Gets Record Mode on Mac for Meeting Transcription

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

Artificial Intelligence needs to be regulated for the world to be safe.

 

[Godspeed8230]

Artificial Intelligence needs to be regulated for the world to be safe.

It should be made mandatory that each and every person being recorded gets an automatic notification - this happening in "stealth" mode is super concerning.

 

[paulvee]

And does OpenAI get to keep and use all the transcripts for research and to feed its learning models? People are really willing to surrender their privacy for any convenience these days.

 

[jennyp]

And does OpenAI get to keep and use all the transcripts for research and to feed its learning models?

Of course it does. And information collapse is drawing ever closer.

 

[[AUT] Thomas]

Audio Processing can be done on-device. That is not rocket science anymore.

I'm not normally favoring regulation of emerging technologies to not cripple its development, but the "upload everything to foreign hosted AI servers" is a privacy nightmare.

What we really need, is a law banning upload of data to foreign servers when the task can be easily handled on-device.

 

[edvj]

Artificial Intelligence needs to be regulated for the world to be safe.

The use of artificial intelligence in the EU is regulated by the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI law. Find out how it protects you.

 

[Paradoxally]

Artificial Intelligence needs to be regulated for the world to be safe.

It's a transcription, not full voice recording.

 

[Taq'aix]

This Record Mode thing is honestly sketchy. Sure, they delete the audio after transcription, but the processed notes can still train their models unless you opt out. Plus it’s way too easy to record people without proper consent, that disclaimer about “checking local laws” is basically meaningless when you put a one-click record button in front of users.

I can already see this becoming a workplace privacy nightmare. Hard pass for me.

 

[Canubis]

Perhaps worth to mention here, there is a pretty good, more privacy-friendly alternative called MacWhisper. It does meeting transcription locally using the ML power of the Macs we already paid for – not need to offload the data to the cloud. Works pretty well for me.

ðï¸ MacWhisper

Quickly and easily transcribe audio files into text with OpenAI's state-of-the-art transcription technology Whisper as well as Nvidia Parakeet. Whether you're recording a meeting, lecture, or other important audio, MacWhisper quickly and accurately transcribes your audio files into text.ð²...

goodsnooze.gumroad.com

 

[victorvictoria]

Audio Processing can be done on-device. That is not rocket science anymore.

I'm not normally favoring regulation of emerging technologies to not cripple its development, but the "upload everything to foreign hosted AI servers" is a privacy nightmare.

What we really need, is a law banning upload of data to foreign servers when the task can be easily handled on-device.

Remember the poster on the wall of Mulder & Sculley's X-Files office?
No, not, "I Want To Believe"
the other one: "Trust No One"

If you want something better than 70-75% accuracy, you're gonna need a better phone!

 

[abreyu]

It's a transcription, not full voice recording.

According to OpenAI, Record Mode captures audio from a user's computer, which they can upload to the company's services for processing. Once an audio recording has been processed, users can view these summaries in the form of canvases, and quickly use the chatbot to turn them into an email or a detailed summary.

deal with it...

 

[lkrupp]

And does OpenAI get to keep and use all the transcripts for research and to feed its learning models? People are really willing to surrender their privacy for any convenience these days.

Yes, people are very willing to sacrifice their privacy for just about anything. That is painfully obvious. And besides, privacy is an illusion in the digital epoch. We are all open books. Resistance is futile. Everything about you is out there somewhere.

 

[Paradoxally]

deal with it...

1. You do not have access to the recording.
2. OpenAI deletes it after they process it.
3. They will train on the transcript unless you opt-out.
4. You get a transcript of the meeting, not the full recording.

If you just want to record system audio locally, there are many tools for that. You do not need an LLM.

The advantage here is the fact it can just give you summarized points of the meeting and open questions to bring up for the next one instead of you having to do it manually.

It also "sherlocks" a lot of existing transcribing apps.

 

[GioGiusi]

Meeting transcription? ChatGPT can't remember who I am or what I'm working on for more than 5 minutes. How is it going to record a whole meeting?

That's facetious of course, but as someone who uses it daily, the biggest improvement ChatGPT needs is to maintain longer running knowledge of the person using it.

 

[F-B-Z]

Honest question: What are the advantages of using ChatGPT in an app as opposed to the website?

 

[abreyu]

1. You do not have access to the recording.
2. OpenAI deletes it after they process it.
3. They will train on the transcript unless you opt-out.
4. You get a transcript of the meeting, not the full recording.

If you just want to record system audio locally, there are many tools for that. You do not need an LLM.

The advantage here is the fact it can just give you summarized points of the meeting and open questions to bring up for the next one instead of you having to do it manually.

It also "sherlocks" a lot of existing transcribing apps.

1 chatgpt has
2 delete audio? delete transcription? processed for whom?
3 120 minutes of a meeting transcription, amazing for your privacy
4 refer to point 1

 

[Graphate]

[…]

OpenAI also says that notes and transcripts from record mode can be referenced in new chats and my be used to improve its models, though this can be disabled in the app's settings. […]

It is noteworthy that it isn’t available on Windows, yet. Does it reflect at least some though that they fear this tool, is Windows the wrong platform to test before unleashing the torrent?

If ChatGPT is paying attention to the meeting, I guess it means you don’t have to.

 

[hagar]

Meeting transcription? ChatGPT can't remember who I am or what I'm working on for more than 5 minutes. How is it going to record a whole meeting?

That's facetious of course, but as someone who uses it daily, the biggest improvement ChatGPT needs is to maintain longer running knowledge of the person using it.

Exactly. I was using it the other day to co-write a document. After a few minutes I asked it to read the document for errors and it totally invented a new doc. It invented new paragraphs, found errors that did not exist, etc. It was quite useless and very frustrating.

 

[TheColtr]

It’s just transcription with a prompt. I have a shortcut that does the same thing with voice memo recordings, and notes have something similar built in.

 

[xander49x]

you have a choice to use it or not and except the consequences for your actions, start reading the small print people.

 

[Mousse]

If ChatGPT is paying attention to the meeting, I guess it means you don’t have to.

The is predicated on AI generating an accurate transcript. From what I see from YouTube auto-generated captioning, I wouldn't hold my breath. Unless everyone in the meeting enunciate, you'll likely to end up with gibberish. Compound that with how some of us have a difficult to understand accent...

You might get "Sex. Sex. Sex. Free sex tonight." Buddy, I was giving out my phone number 666-3629.😑

 

[svish]

Good to know about this. Don't think I have use for this but I am sure that many will be finding it useful.

 

[maxoakland]

What’s OpenAI going to do with all those recordings?

 

[tranceme]

I don't get how people would be okay just letting OpenAI listen in on them. People freaked out on Apple that Siri might listen to then. Then again with Amazon Alexa. But, then OpenAi this is not an issue? Don't think put in the terms that they can use any of data it gathers?

All I'm saying is that I want a cut of OpenAi if it uses any of my material to learn