- ChatGPT can now remember files you’ve uploaded in previous chats
- Free users now get 500MB of persistent file storage
- OpenAI makes ChatGPT something closer to a personal AI workspace
OpenAI just added a neat new feature to ChatGPT without much fuss, but it’s a real game-changer. Now, when you upload a file, it doesn’t just disappear. Instead, ChatGPT stores it in a new library so you can refer to it again in future chats.
The same will happen to any files, such as spreadsheets or presentations, that ChatGPT generates in the course of following your instructions. They are now added to the storage area for future use.
Instead of being instantly forgotten as soon as you end a chat, uploaded files now stay in ChatGPT, meaning it starts to act more like an AI workspace, a bit like Google Drive. The new feature includes storage limits for different subscriber types, but the good news is that even Free users get 500MB of storage, which is pretty generous.
AI becomes useful in a very common way
The new storage feature means you’ll now be able to query ChatGPT for old tax forms, restore recipes, compare resumes and revisit travel plans shared on the platform. I can imagine it being particularly useful for memorizing warranty PDFs or finding notes from weeks ago.
We all have a lot of digital clutter where it doesn’t make sense to keep it out of a random folder on our laptop’s hard drive. Being able to store it all in ChatGPT can be a lifesaver, because that’s really what most of us want – a way to navigate the digital mess of modern life.
What you get for your money
The stock limits for the different subscription levels look like this:
- Free: 500 MB
- Go: 4GB
- Plus and Business: 20 GB
- Pro: 100 GB
The new storage feature can be managed on the mobile app and web interface from a new menu option in the Settings called Storage. This means you can reuse old documents, build on previous uploads and gradually build your own personal archive over time.
You can see what you have uploaded in a new one Library menu selection in the sidebar next to it Pictures. Any images you create will still appear in Picturesbut uploaded files now belong to i Library. A new one Latest files and Library option is also available in Composer the menu (the ‘+‘ menu in the prompt bar).
With this new feature, ChatGPT takes a step closer to the territory occupied by Google Drive, Notion, and Evernote, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. ChatGPT is currently terrible at serving as your personal planner because it can’t do things like run a proper to-do list or even set a timer. The first step towards correcting this shortcoming is persistent file storage, and now it has been fixed.
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