But last week when I used it for a project, I was pleasantly surprised. The task was to identify countries in Asia that would be the best targets for a new trade show located in Singapore in terms of number of potential visitors, and then rank them. Since both exhibitors and visitors were involved in the construction of large industrial projects, I decided to build a table showing the number of energy projects underway or planned by type, total investment, and then calculate the per capita investment for each country to rank them. What would have taken me hours to research, took ChatGPT about two minutes to put together, including sources for each figure. Because ChatGPT had made up facts in the past, I checked the sources, and found they were accurate.

As I worked, I noticed a message I had not seen before pop up after I had entered each prompt: “Memory updated.” Curious, I did a quick internet search and learned OpenAI had launched a new feature in ChatGPT called memories. Testing began in September, and the feature is now widely available. 

When I asked ChatGPT to explain memories, it said, “ChatGPT memories refer to the information I retain across conversations to offer more personalized responses over time. For example, I remember your ongoing work with Breakbulk Americas, so you won’t have to explain what it is every time you have a task related to it. If you’re planning a trip to Singapore to organize the new event, I’ll know to provide relevant suggestions — like business meeting spots rather than family-friendly recommendations. If you ever want to update or remove any of this information, just let me know!”

The benefits of having a universal memory are significant. You won’t have to retype explanations of recurring events, preferences or other items into each new chat. It will build a knowledge base about you over time, which can be a big time saver. But you don’t have to leave this new functionality in the hands of ChatGPT. OpenAI has included controls so that you can adjust what is saved – if anything – and for how long. Here’s how it works.

To adjust memory settings in ChatGPT, tap or click on your icon in the upper right corner and select “Settings.” The memories feature is on by default, but you can turn it off by going into Personaliziation and toggling Memories off. 

You can see exactly what ChatGPT has stored as a memory by clicking the “Manage” button from this screen. You’ll see a list to review. Use the trash can if you’d like to delete any items. 

You can also manage memories directly in a conversation. You can tell ChatGPT to remember something you’ve typed, and you’ll see “Memory updated” to confirm your instruction. Likewise, you can tell it to delete or not save a section as a memory.

There may be times when you’d prefer no record of your conversation. Instead of turning off memories in the settings, you can opt for a temporary chat. Use the dropdown at the top left of the ChatGPT window next to the navigation panel that lists your chats in reverse chronological order. You’ll see a button to turn on a temporary chat, which means nothing will be stored in the conversation.

Another new feature found only in the paid version of ChatGPT ($20 a month), is Voice Mode, a fairly fluid conversation feature that lets you talk directly to ChatGPT and it talks back. Like any voice assistant, you can ask it about the weather and other typical questions you might ask Siri, but ChatGPT takes this interaction far beyond a stilted Siri exchange. For now, it’s available as a mobile app for iOS and Android.

Open the app on your phone and tap the “waveform” icon. You’ll see a blue orb pop up on the screen that means Voice Mode is on and listening. Start the conversation. You can brainstorm ideas for a project, get help with what to make for dinner or get a motivation boost when you’re feeling down. Your conversation will be transcribed to text, but it’s easy to erase a conversation. Tap the bars in the upper left corner to see a list of your chats. Long press to bring up an action menu to share chat, rename, archive or delete.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness, and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.