OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that GPT-6 is already in the works, even as GPT-5 continues its rollout. Speaking to reporters in San Francisco last week, Altman highlighted memory as the key capability that will shape the future of ChatGPT.
“People want memory,” Altman said. “People want product features that require us to be able to understand them.”
A faster release cycle
While he did not confirm a release date, Altman suggested GPT-6 will arrive sooner than the long gap between GPT-4 and GPT-5. Unlike its predecessors, the next model is expected to adapt to individual users, remembering preferences, routines and communication styles. He also noted that GPT-6 would allow people to build chatbots that reflect personal tastes and tone.
Personalisation and neutrality
Altman emphasized that memory is central to making ChatGPT “truly personal.” OpenAI is working with psychologists to shape how the feature evolves, though the company has not made its findings public. Future versions will also align with a recent executive order requiring AI systems used by the U.S. government to remain ideologically neutral but customizable.
“I think our product should have a fairly center-of-the-road, middle stance, and then you should be able to push it pretty far,” Altman said. “If you’re like, ‘I want you to be super woke’ — it should be super woke.” He added that users who prefer a conservative perspective should also be able to set that.
Lessons from GPT-5
Altman admitted GPT-5’s rollout faced criticism, with users describing it as colder and less connected. He said OpenAI quietly issued a tone update to make the model “much warmer.”
Privacy concerns
Although he described enhanced memory as his “favorite feature” of the year, Altman acknowledged privacy issues. Current temporary memory is not encrypted, which could expose sensitive data. “Encryption very well could be” added in the future, he said, stressing that queries involving legal or medical advice need stronger safeguards.
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