Google is enhancing its Gemini chatbot to improve user experience. Starting today, Gemini will be able to remember past interactions. This advancement means users no longer have to begin conversations from scratch or sift through old threads. As Google explains, this feature allows users to expand on prior discussions and projects effortlessly.

Gemini may also indicate when it has drawn upon previous conversations to craft its responses. For those concerned about privacy, Google assures that users can easily review, delete, or control the duration for which Gemini retains their chat history. Moreover, individuals can turn off this memory feature entirely through the My Activity panel.

While Gemini is not the pioneer in implementing memory functionality, as ChatGPT also retains information about users in certain scenarios, it is building towards a more interactive experience. For instance, I recently posed a question to OpenAI’s chatbot regarding Jeff Buckley’s vocal range. Later, the bot inquired whether I appreciated his music, and after confirming, I received a notification saying “memory updated.”

In a broader context, the development of chatbots with enduring, reliable memories aligns with the “agentic” AI vision that many tech companies, including Google and OpenAI, are pursuing. At I/O 2024, for example, Google introduced Project Astra, which showcased a memory feature, albeit functional only over a limited timeframe and occasionally prone to “mis-remembering” details.

The new memory capability in Gemini is now being rolled out for English-speaking Gemini Advanced subscribers, with plans for additional languages to be launched in the upcoming weeks.