OpenAI has announced a significant upgrade to its popular chatbot application, ChatGPT. The new feature, called persistent memory, will allow users to ask ChatGPT to remember information and recall it later, even across different chat sessions. This is a departure from the previous functionality of ChatGPT, which only retained information within a single chat session. The introduction of persistent memory aims to save users time by eliminating the need to repeat information in subsequent sessions.
Initially, the memory feature will be rolled out to selected users of ChatGPT’s free tier and paid subscription ChatGPT Plus. OpenAI plans to assess the impact of the upgrade before extending it to Teams and Enterprise plan subscribers. The move comes as competition in the AI assistant space intensifies, with Google recently rebranding and promoting its own AI chatbot.
According to OpenAI, ChatGPT’s memory will gradually accumulate details as users interact with the chatbot. If users want the assistant to remember specific information, they can explicitly ask it to do so. All remembered information is stored on users’ accounts and used to enhance future conversations. This feature can be useful in various work and personal scenarios, such as remembering article formatting preferences or preferred programming languages.
OpenAI acknowledges that memories collected from free and Plus users may be used for training its models. However, users have the option to switch to a temporary chat that doesn’t appear in history and won’t be used for training or memory creation. Additionally, users can disable the memory feature entirely or manage specific memories through the settings of ChatGPT.
While the introduction of memory functions in ChatGPT will benefit users, OpenAI emphasizes the importance of implementing it responsibly. The company is actively working to assess and mitigate biases and ensure that sensitive information, such as health details, is not proactively remembered unless explicitly requested by the user.
OpenAI plans to expand the rollout of memory functions to Enterprise and Teams users in the near future. This broader rollout will also allow businesses building GPTs to embed memory in their offerings, providing more personalized experiences based on user interactions. Each GPT will have its own distinct memory, ensuring that the memories of ChatGPT do not overlap with other GPTs.
The introduction of persistent memory in ChatGPT marks a significant advancement in AI chatbot technology. By allowing users to recall information across chat sessions, OpenAI aims to enhance productivity and streamline interactions with the chatbot. As the competition in the AI assistant space continues to grow, OpenAI’s upgrade positions ChatGPT as a formidable contender. With its focus on safety and responsible implementation, OpenAI is paving the way for a more personalized and efficient AI chatbot experience.
