openai launches chatgpt pulse to proactively write you morning briefs

OpenAI Introduces ChatGPT Pulse: Personalized Daily Briefings

OpenAI is introducing a novel feature within ChatGPT known as Pulse. This new capability generates customized reports for users during their sleep cycle.

Pulse delivers between five and ten concise briefs designed to quickly inform users about their day. The intention is to encourage regular engagement with ChatGPT upon waking – mirroring habits associated with checking social media or news applications.

A Shift Towards Asynchronous AI Support

The launch of Pulse signifies a broader strategic change in OpenAI’s approach to consumer products.

These products are increasingly being developed to function asynchronously for users, rather than solely responding to direct queries. Initiatives like ChatGPT Agent and Codex are geared towards establishing ChatGPT as a more proactive assistant, rather than a simple chatbot.

Accessibility and Future Expansion

“Our goal is to make the level of support historically available only to the wealthiest individuals accessible to everyone over time,” stated Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s new CEO of Applications, in a recent blog post.

“ChatGPT Pulse represents the initial step in this direction – beginning with Pro users today, with plans for wider availability to all.”

Computational Demands and Subscription Access

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, indicated earlier this week that certain new, computationally intensive products would be exclusive to the company’s highest-tier subscription plan. This is indeed the case with Pulse.

OpenAI has acknowledged limitations in its server capacity for powering ChatGPT and is actively expanding its AI data centers in collaboration with partners such as Oracle and SoftBank to address this.

Rollout and Availability

Beginning Thursday, Pulse will be available to subscribers of OpenAI’s $200-per-month Pro plan, appearing as a dedicated tab within the ChatGPT application.

The company expresses a desire to extend Pulse’s availability to all ChatGPT users in the future, with Plus subscribers anticipated to gain access shortly. However, optimizing the product’s efficiency is a prerequisite for broader deployment.

Report Content and Personalization

Pulse’s reports can encompass news aggregations on specific subjects – for example, updates regarding a particular sports team.

Furthermore, the reports can be tailored to individual users based on their unique contexts and preferences.

Demonstration of Pulse’s Capabilities

During a demonstration for TechCrunch, OpenAI product lead Adam Fry showcased several reports generated by Pulse.

These included a news summary of the British soccer team Arsenal, suggestions for group Halloween costumes, and a travel itinerary suitable for young children for an upcoming trip to Sedona, Arizona.

Report Format and User Interaction

Each report is presented as a “card” featuring both AI-generated imagery and textual content.

Users can click on these cards to access the complete report and subsequently engage with ChatGPT regarding its contents. Pulse proactively creates reports, but users can also request new automated reports or provide feedback on existing ones.

Intentional Design for Limited Engagement

A key aspect of Pulse’s design is its deliberate limitation: after generating a few reports, it displays a message stating, “Great, that’s it for today.”

According to Fry, this is a conscious decision to differentiate the service from engagement-driven social media platforms.

Integration with Connectors and Memory Features

Pulse is compatible with ChatGPT’s Connectors, enabling users to link applications like Google Calendar and Gmail.

This integration allows Pulse to analyze your email overnight and highlight important messages, or access your calendar to create an agenda for upcoming events.

When ChatGPT’s memory features are enabled, Pulse will also leverage context from previous conversations to enhance report personalization.

Personalized Itineraries and Dietary Considerations

Christina Wadsworth Kaplan, OpenAI’s personalization lead, illustrated how Pulse automatically recognized her interest in running and incorporated running routes into an itinerary for her trip to London.

As a pescatarian, Kaplan noted that Pulse proactively identifies menu options aligning with her dietary preferences when making dinner reservations.

Potential Competition with Existing News Products

The introduction of Pulse inevitably raises questions about potential competition with established news products like Apple News, paid newsletters, and traditional journalism.

Fry does not anticipate Pulse replacing existing news apps, and the feature provides source citations with links, similar to ChatGPT Search.

Computational Cost and Future Development

The value of Pulse remains contingent on its computational efficiency.

Fry explained that the service’s computational demands can “vary tremendously” depending on the task, with some projects being relatively efficient while others require extensive web searching and data synthesis.

OpenAI envisions evolving Pulse into a more agentic system capable of autonomously handling tasks such as making restaurant reservations or drafting emails for user approval. However, realizing these features will require significant advancements in OpenAI’s agentic models.