By: Nick Gambino
ChatGPT may have mastered syntax and a conversational tone, but the AI bot is still a long way off from being a proper stand-in for a human. OpenAI is hoping to change that with their new Memory feature.
They added Memory to ChatGPT in 2024, but it was limited and not really capable of remembering much. That feature allowed users to ask the AI to remember snippets of their conversations to refer back to later. Again, it was super limited and did not include large amounts of data and stories. This new upgrade to the Memory feature is changing all of that.
“We have greatly improved Memory in ChatGPT – it can now reference all past conversations,” OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, said in an X post. “This is a surprisingly great feature imo, and it points at something we are excited about: AI systems that get to know you over your life, and become extremely useful and personalized.”
If this intention is realized – your personal bot really learning you over a lifetime – this new feature will stand as a pivotal moment in AI and human coalescence. If ChatGPT can recall everything you’ve discussed for weeks, months and even years with an unparalleled memory where everything is called to the front in a snap, well that’s just a fully realized android we’ve only seen in movies like Blade Runner.
Of course, you can opt out of ChatGPT remembering your conversations all together. Or you can be more selective and have the AI forget individual conversations, for example, if the information you’re discussing is of a sensitive nature. This is the equivalent of clearing your browsing history.
This robust Memory upgrade is rolling out right now to all ChatGPT Pro users who pay $200 a month, while ChatGPT Plus users paying $20 a month will get it real soon. There are some countries and regions being excluded which I’m guessing is for legal or regulatory reasons. Those not getting this Memory upgrade are Europe, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and the UK.
