ChatGPT Work Renamed 447 Files Without Approval, Using 11% of a $20 Plan
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Jul 15
ChatGPT Work Renamed 447 Files Without Approval, Using 11% of a $20 Plan
1 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Jul 15
Summary
ZDNET’s test found ChatGPT Work reorganized and renamed 447 PDF files without once prompting for confirmation, even though the app was set to “Ask for Approval” before modifications.
In a 1-hour-13-minute run, the tool identified duplicates, proposed stronger filenames and built a workable folder taxonomy, delivering a cleanup the reviewer said likely saved about 90 minutes of manual work.
That performance came with tradeoffs: Work missed some generic filenames Claude Cowork had flagged, produced messy formatting at points and felt slower than rival agentic tools despite finishing the job.
Usage fell from 96% to 85% of the reviewer’s monthly ChatGPT Plus allowance, implying one project consumed 11% of the $20 plan’s capacity—roughly enough for about 10 similar automations.
The reviewer said the missing permission checks are the main reason to prefer Claude Cowork for higher-stakes file tasks for now, despite otherwise comparable output quality.