Don't you forget about me: AI can now "remember" conversations
If you're sick of repeating yourself all the time when you use ChatGPT, then you might want to consider a paid subscription for now. The Memory feature, which preserves details from previous conversations to refine results, solves this problem — but only paid users and a tiny slice of free users can currently access this feature.
Users could previously refine conversations and results with Custom instructions, but according to OpenAI, the Memory feature enables the model to update memories automatically without as much manual intervention from users. When users share potentially useful information, the model adds a summary to the Notepad and draws on it during future interactions.
What does this mean in practice? If a user frequently asks ChatGPT for recipes, for example, then the model might recall that the user is allergic to peanuts or dislikes spicy food. Users can nudge ChatGPT to remember certain details with prompts like "Remember that I don't like spicy food." Users can also remove or change specific memories in the notepad.
There are a couple of exceptions: ChatGPT won't remember your Social Security number for you or keep track of your passwords. So don't even ask.
The feature is another major salvo in the AI arms race, which has tech companies battling to build hyper-personalized models that can assist users with an ever-increasing variety of tasks. Some users, however, might be wary of an AI model that recalls personal details. And for them, OpenAI has thoughtfully added an off switch.
