OpenAI Tests ChatGPT Connectors for Google Drive, Slack

# ChatGPT # openai # Slack

OpenAI is gearing up to test a new feature called ChatGPT Connectors, which will let business users link their Google Drive and Slack accounts to ChatGPT. This beta feature, set to roll out to ChatGPT Team subscribers, will allow the chatbot to tap into files, presentations, spreadsheets, and Slack conversations to provide more informed answers. According to a document seen by TechCrunch, OpenAI has plans to extend this functionality to other platforms like Microsoft SharePoint and Box down the line. The idea behind ChatGPT Connectors is to make it easier for employees to access internal company info in a way that's similar to how they use web searches for general knowledge. It's OpenAI's latest move to make ChatGPT a must-have tool for businesses. While some companies are hesitant about letting ChatGPT near their sensitive data, others are all in on the tech. ChatGPT Connectors might just be the thing to sway those cautious company leaders and could pose a serious challenge to other AI-powered enterprise search platforms like Glean. The beta version of ChatGPT Connectors, available to select ChatGPT Team users, runs on a tweaked version of OpenAI's GPT-4o model. This model can tailor its responses based on a company's internal knowledge. Everyone in a participating ChatGPT Team workspace can use this model through OpenAI's ChatGPT apps. The custom GPT-4o model sifts through and "reads" internal info that might be relevant to a user's query. To do this, OpenAI creates an encrypted copy of company files and conversations on its servers, building a search index. If you want to see more info that the model didn't directly use, you can click on the "sources" button at the bottom of each response. Sometimes, the model will just give you a list of relevant results. To ease concerns about data privacy, the document stresses that Slack and Google Drive permissions are fully respected and kept up to date. For instance, ChatGPT Connector keeps track of Slack private channel memberships and Drive file permissions, as well as directory info. Employees won't be able to access content through ChatGPT that they can't already see in Google Drive or Slack. Admins can pick and choose which Slack channels and Google Drive files get synced. However, OpenAI notes that employees might get pretty different answers to the same ChatGPT prompts. There are some limits to what ChatGPT Connector can do. It can't handle images in Google Drive files like Google Docs, Google Slides, PDFs, Word docs, PowerPoint presentations, or plain text. It can only "read" data in Sheets and Excel, not analyze it. Also, it won't touch Slack DMs or group messages, and it'll skip messages from Slack bots. To join the ChatGPT Connector beta, companies need to give OpenAI 100 documents, spreadsheets, presentations, or Slack channel conversations. OpenAI says it won't train directly on this info but might use it to create synthetic data for training purposes. The document assures that "No data synced from Google Drive or Slack will be used for training." OpenAI didn't get back to us for comment on this.

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