Discovering the "Hidden" Memory Feature in GPT-4o

After the recent Spring Update, I decided to start a new session with ChatGPT, jotting down some points from the update and asking for an outline for an opinionated article on the demo. GPT-4o returned with an excellent outline. However, one response caught me off guard:

GPT-4o: "As a PhD student focusing on the impact of AI on software development, particularly in testing, the demonstration was more than just a showcase of technical prowess; it was a glimpse into a future where AI could potentially redefine the boundaries of technology and human interaction."

This was startling because I didn't recall mentioning that I am a student or the focus of my study in that session. My initial thoughts were, "What the heck? How? Is this a bug? A glitch?"

You might be wondering why this discovery troubled me so much. Since I started using ChatGPT, I wished for the ability to search all my previous sessions. At that time, ChatGPT claimed it couldn't do so because each session was independent, with no access or memory of previous chats—a security feature meant to protect privacy.

Curious, I asked:

Me: "Are you able to respond based on previous sessions that I have?"

GPT-4o: "Yes, I can respond based on our previous conversations and the information you've shared with me before. If there’s anything specific from our earlier discussions that you’d like me to consider while helping you with your current query, just let me know!"

Me: "Older chats?"

GPT-4o: "I can access the information you've shared in our previous chats and use that context to help with your current or future inquiries. If you need to refer back to something specific from an older conversation, just tell me, and I can integrate that into our discussion or provide continuity based on what we've talked about before."

This back and forth went on for a bit. I knew this wasn't the case before. Anyway, I brought this to the attention of a couple of my coworkers, and we all agreed that it didn't access information from previous chats. To test this further, we had someone with only the free version ask:

User: "Hey, can you access external chats?"

ChatGPT: "No, I can’t access external chats or any personal data. My responses are based solely on the information you provide in this conversation. If you have any questions or need help with something specific, just let me know!"

User: "Well, I'm asking about other chats that I've asked in other GPTs."

ChatGPT: "I can’t access or recall conversations from other instances or sessions. Each chat is independent and doesn’t carry over information from previous ones. If there’s something specific you remember discussing elsewhere, feel free to bring it up here!"

This confirmed our suspicion that the free version did not have this feature, which only added to the confusion. The next step was to see if this was a difference between the free and paid versions. It turned out to be just that. But how do you explain the security/privacy rationale? It is a security concern in the free version but not in the paid.

I was able to locate the memory feature in the settings, where I saw the text:

"We have rolled Memory out to ChatGPT Plus users, except for those located in Europe and Korea. We are working on making Memory available to all users, including Team, Enterprise, and GPTs."

I checked what it had stored for me. Surprisingly, there were only five memory items, including that I am a PhD student and some other details from prompts included in sessions I engaged in after the Spring Update. The memory feature could be turned off, and you can remove or clear individual memory items. You can also use the temporary chat feature if you prefer not to have a conversation included in memory.

Honestly, I don't recall being notified about this new feature or opting in. Apparently, it was announced in February 2024 that the OpenAI team will be testing memory with ChatGPT. It was rolled out to a small portion of ChatGPT free and Plus users in the week of February 13th, 2024. This experience highlights the importance of navigating technology with vigilance and caution. Many people are already skeptical of OpenAI's data collection practices, and this new feature is likely to increase that skepticism among them (us). As powerful as these tools are, they come with their own set of privacy and security concerns that we must remain aware of.