The new Pulse feature from ChatGPT conducts tailored research for you overnight and delivers a summary each morning.
The new Pulse feature from ChatGPT conducts tailored research for you overnight and delivers a summary each morning.
OpenAI’s latest move towards personalization in ChatGPT allows the chatbot to gain insights about you from your conversation transcripts and mobile activity (consider: linked applications such as your calendar, email, and Google Contacts). It will then conduct research on topics it predicts you’ll find interesting and deliver a daily “pulse” on those subjects.
Currently, the mobile feature named ChatGPT Pulse is exclusive to Pro users, with plans for a wider rollout soon. The personalized research is presented as “topical visual cards that you can scan quickly or explore for further details, ensuring each day begins with a fresh, focused set of updates,” according to the company. This might include updates on Formula One races, vocabulary exercises for languages you’re studying, and dining recommendations for events you have scheduled that evening.
This initiative is part of OpenAI’s significant investment in the development of AI agents, an area where the company—and nearly all of its rivals, including Anthropic and Google—are pouring considerable resources. For years, leaders at numerous companies including Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft have expressed their ambition to create effective AI agents for consumers, professing that these tools could one day manage tasks like crafting business presentations, booking travel, securing restaurant reservations, purchasing gifts, and beyond.
“The next frontier lies in agents: AI assistants capable of taking actions on your behalf and collaborating with you as a team,” said Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of applications, in a blog post regarding ChatGPT Pulse. “Earlier this year, we launched ChatGPT Agent … However, most agents still require direction. The true breakthrough will occur when AI assistants comprehend your objectives and assist you in achieving them autonomously.”
According to Christina Kaplan, who oversees personalization and productivity for ChatGPT, the chatbot has been “reactive” thus far—answering user queries and placing the responsibility on users to determine what to ask and what they require. Now, she informed The Verge during a demonstration on Wednesday, ChatGPT is capable of “maintaining a pulse proactively on aspects significant to you” and providing “information, ideas, and actionable next steps.”
The personalized Pulse showcased by Kaplan in the demo incorporated suggestions based on her calendar, previous requests, and conversation history, reflecting what she had planned for that day, her dietary preferences, and topics she expressed a desire to explore further.
“You’ve got a packed evening—here’s how to transition seamlessly from your run to dinner,” Pulse advised her based on her plans to run before a work team dinner. It added that it had “mapped a 45-50 minute route concluding near KAIYO Rooftop, allowing for buffer time and back-up options if time is tight.” It also provided “KAIYO Rooftop Dinner Strategy” to assist in preparing a possible order for her dairy-free diet. Additionally, it prompted her to share modifications for future updates, suggesting “What’s on your mind lately? I’ll note it for tomorrow’s update,” with potential responses like, “I’m interested in…,” “My upcoming agenda includes…,” and “I want to keep track of….”
Additional suggestions from Pulse included a daily core or pilates regimen Kaplan requested, a fuel strategy for an upcoming birthday hike, and a recovery exercise since she had traveled the previous day.
What about the “training data” in all this? To optimize the effectiveness of this personalization feature, users will be encouraged to share greater amounts of their data with ChatGPT. Specifically, if you have the “reference past history” feature activated in ChatGPT, it will analyze your historical chat transcripts to influence what it researches for you. If you’ve already linked your calendar and email to ChatGPT, you’ll need to reaffirm that you want the chatbot to access those applications to aid in your daily preparations—you’ll have to click “Accept” to allow it, according to Kaplan. When questioned about whether user feedback regarding their Pulse could enhance the feature for others, Kaplan indicated that feedback would solely improve an individual’s Pulse for the following day.
“Your Pulse is strictly between you and ChatGPT,” she stated, affirming, “The implications of training data are identical to those of standard ChatGPT interactions.”
Regarding whether a user’s personalized Pulse could lead them into an echo chamber and reinforce problematic thought patterns—an ever-growing concern associated with AI and mental health issues—Kaplan mentioned that the team employs “multiple safety filters and protocols” and that OpenAI’s policy and safety divisions are “investigating” this matter. The company did not provide specific details by the time of publication.
A key aspect: ChatGPT Pulse does not offer an infinite scroll experience. “This interaction has a conclusion,” Samir Ahmed, technical lead on the ChatGPT team, informed The Verge during the briefing, emphasizing that it’s designed “to serve you rather than keep you endlessly scrolling.”
