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ChatGPT enables location sharing for more precise local responses

31 March 2026 at 17:43

OpenAI now allows users of ChatGPT to share their device location so that ChatGPT can know more precisely where the user is and serve better answers and results based on that location.

The feature is called location sharing, OpenAI wrote, “Sharing your device location is completely optional and off until you choose to enable it. You can update device location sharing in Settings > Data Controls at any time.”

What it does. If ChatGPT knows your location, it can return better local results. OpenAI wrote:

  • “Precise location means ChatGPT can use your device’s specific location, such as an exact address, to provide more tailored results.”
  • “For example, if you ask “what are the best coffee shops near me?”, ChatGPT can use your precise location to provide more relevant nearby results. On mobile devices, you can choose to toggle off precise location separately while keeping approximate device location sharing on for additional control.”

Privacy. OpenAI said “ChatGPT deletes precise location data after it’s used to provide a more relevant response.” Here is how ChatGPT uses that information:

  • “If ChatGPT’s response includes information related to your specific location, such as the names of nearby restaurants or maps, that information becomes part of your conversation like any other response and will remain in your chat history unless you delete the conversation.”

Does it work. Does this work? Well, maybe not as well as you’d expect. Here is an example from Glenn Gabe:

I shared about the "Near Me ChatGPT Update" the other day and just let ChatGPT use my device location. This is supposed to enhance results for local queries. I just asked for the "best steakhouses near me" and several of the restaurants are ~45 minutes away. Both restaurants… pic.twitter.com/gRkMeuzMQt

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 30, 2026

Why we care. Making ChatGPT local results better is a bit deal in local search and local SEO. Knowing the users location and better yet, precise location, can result in better local results.

Hopefully this will result in ChatGPT responding with more useful local results for users.

OpenAI to acquire AI security startup Promptfoo

OpenAI has announced its plans to acquire Promptfoo, an established AI security platform widely used by enterprises to identify and remediate vulnerabilities in AI systems during development. The company confirmed that once the acquisition is finalized, Promptfoo’s technology will be integrated directly into OpenAI Frontier, the platform designed for building and operating AI coworkers. The move reflects OpenAI’s growing focus on strengthening evaluation, security, and compliance capabilities as enterprises increasingly deploy AI agents into real‑world workflows.

According to OpenAI, organizations adopting AI coworkers require systematic methods to test agent behavior, detect risks before deployment, and maintain transparent records to support oversight and governance. Promptfoo, led by co‑founders Ian Webster and Michael D’Angelo, has built a suite of tools trusted by more than a quarter of Fortune 500 companies. Its open‑source CLI and library for evaluating and red‑teaming large language model applications have become widely used across the industry. OpenAI stated that it will continue supporting the open‑source project while expanding enterprise‑grade capabilities within Frontier.

Srinivas Narayanan, CTO of B2B Applications at OpenAI, said the acquisition brings deep engineering expertise in evaluating and securing AI systems at scale. He noted that Promptfoo’s work enables businesses to deploy secure and reliable AI applications, and integrating these capabilities into Frontier will strengthen the platform’s native security features. OpenAI highlighted that the integration will introduce automated security testing and red‑teaming directly into Frontier, enabling enterprises to identify risks such as prompt injections, jailbreaks, data leaks, tool misuse, and out‑of‑policy agent behaviors.

The company also emphasized that security and evaluation will be embedded into development workflows, allowing teams to identify, investigate, and remediate risks earlier in the lifecycle. Enhanced reporting and traceability will support governance, risk management, and compliance requirements as AI oversight expectations continue to rise globally.

Promptfoo CEO Ian Webster said the company was founded to give developers practical tools to secure AI systems, noting that the increasing connectivity of AI agents to real data and systems makes validation more critical than ever. He added that joining OpenAI will accelerate efforts to deliver stronger security, safety, and governance capabilities for teams building real‑world AI applications. The acquisition remains subject to customary closing conditions.

 

The post OpenAI to acquire AI security startup Promptfoo appeared first on My Startup World - Everything About the World of Startups!.

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