OpenAI is reportedly developing a new feature called ‘Connectors’ for ChatGPT Team subscribers, which will allow deeper integration with Google Drive and Slack without requiring users to upload files. According to TechCrunch, this feature aims to enable ChatGPT to access and analyze internal business data, respecting existing permissions and providing admins control over the synced content.
ChatGPT Connectors in beta testing
The Connectors feature will first undergo beta testing for ChatGPT Team subscribers, specifically for Google Drive and Slack. Once implemented, it will provide ChatGPT with full access to connected applications, allowing for upload-less queries, such as asking the AI to summarize documents received via email or to recall discussions from Slack conversations.
OpenAI plans to extend the Connectors functionality to other platforms, including Microsoft SharePoint and Box, aiming to make ChatGPT a valuable tool for business environments. According to an internal document, this feature will allow organizations to leverage internal information similarly to how they utilize web searches for world knowledge.
Regarding user control and data privacy, OpenAI emphasizes that integration permissions will be “fully respected” and kept continuously updated. The company assures that no synced data will be used to train its AI models. Additionally, the integration will honor account-level permissions, ensuring employees cannot access documents or messages they are not authorized to view within Google Drive or Slack.
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Admins will have the authority to choose which Slack channels and Google Drive files are synchronized with ChatGPT. Importantly, the tool will not be able to access direct messages or analyze image files, Sheets, and Excel data. As reported, employees may receive different responses to identical prompts due to varying access levels and data availability.
Participating companies must provide OpenAI with 100 documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and Slack conversations to join the beta program. OpenAI clarified that while it won’t directly train on this data, it may use it for synthetic data generation.
The exact release timeline for Connectors remains unclear, and it is expected to remain exclusive to business users initially. OpenAI has not publicly commented on the development of Connectors to date.
Featured image credit: Solen Feyissa/Unsplash
