OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced the development of GPT-6, with a strong focus on memory functions in the next-generation AI model. The announcement came less than two weeks after the launch of GPT-5 on 7 August, which received a mixed reception from users. The new direction is crucial, as memory capabilities will allow ChatGPT not only to respond to users but also to adapt to them, remembering their preferences, routines, and individual style, thereby making AI interactions more personal.
Following the release of GPT-5, many users expressed dissatisfaction on social media, reporting that the new model felt colder, less engaging, and less helpful than its predecessor. In response, OpenAI quietly issued a tone update to GPT-5, which Altman said made the system significantly friendlier. The CEO admitted that mistakes had been made in the product launch but identified memory features as his favourite development of the year. He also expressed concern about the current temporary memory system, which is not encrypted, leaving sensitive information potentially vulnerable without adequate safeguards. He confirmed that encryption may be introduced, though without specifying a timeline, and stressed that queries involving legal or medical information must be handled with proper data protection measures, which have yet to be implemented.
The new GPT-6 model is expected to comply with the Trump administration’s earlier directive requiring federal AI systems to be ideologically neutral and customisable. Altman stated that their product should maintain a centrist position by default, while giving users the option to adjust it in different directions. He added that if a user wants a highly “woke” or a conservative AI, the system should be capable of reflecting either. OpenAI is also working with psychologists to design these features, monitoring how people feel when using the technology and tracking their well-being over time. Altman indicated that GPT-6 may arrive sooner than the two-year gap between GPT-4 and GPT-5, though no release date was given. The goal of the new model is to shift AI from general-purpose tools towards more personalised assistants.
Sources:
MacKenzie Sigalos
Victor Tangermann
Ojukwu Emmanuel
