ChatGPT will now use its ‘memory’ to personalize web searches
OpenAI enhances ChatGPT with smarter search capabilities
OpenAI has quietly rolled out a significant upgrade to ChatGPT’s memory feature, enabling the AI assistant to use personal context when performing web searches. The new “Memory with Search” functionality was revealed through changelog updates and support documentation on OpenAI’s website.
How Memory with Search works
When users enable this feature, ChatGPT will:
- Access relevant details from past conversations (like dietary preferences or location)
- Rewrite search queries to include personalized context
- Deliver more tailored results for web searches
For example, if ChatGPT knows you’re vegan and live in San Francisco, a query like “what are some restaurants near me that I’d like” automatically transforms into “good vegan restaurants, San Francisco.”
Competitive AI landscape
This enhancement follows OpenAI’s recent upgrade allowing ChatGPT to reference entire chat histories. The move appears designed to differentiate ChatGPT from competitors like Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini, both of which offer similar memory features.
Availability and control
Users can disable Memory with Search by turning off the Memory function in ChatGPT’s settings. While some X (formerly Twitter) users report already having access, OpenAI hasn’t specified when all users will receive the feature.
This development marks another step in AI assistants becoming more context-aware and personalized, potentially transforming how users interact with search technology.