OpenAI is testing better memory for ChatGPT

Here are five things that happened in the tech industry this week and how they impact your business. Were you lonely?

1 – OpenAI is testing memory improvements for ChatGPT: Who works and how.

OpenAI announced this week that it is testing memory improvements to ChatGPT “to make future chats more useful.” Chatbots, which have 100 million weekly users, have the ability to remember previous conversations and apply that data to future conversations. Memory (which you can turn on or off) stores data such as your personal preferences, topics of interest, and any facts you share so that the same information can be used in future conversations and repeated Eliminate work. Users can also control what the chatbot remembers according to OpenAI. The company plans to test this with “select ChatGPT free and Plus users” and roll it out more broadly in the coming months. (Source: CNET)

Why this is important for your business:

As a frequent user of ChatGPT, I see the benefit of remembering every interaction. Why not? ChatGPT is like having an expert girlfriend assistant supporting me, and I want that assistant to remember as much about me as possible to make future interactions more productive and relevant. I would like to. You should too.

2 – Slack begins rolling out Slack AI…well, maybe?

Productivity platform Slack has announced the release of Slack AI, a “secure, reliable, and intuitive AI experience.” PCWorld's Mark Hachman revisited his Slack AI development timeline (Slack GPT, etc.), which technically started a year before him. Notable details include “Smart Search.” This is a tool that retrieves information across channels and group chats tagged with source links. Thread Summary bullets the most important points of an ongoing conversation in one click. As Hackman points out, there is one detail in all of this that he finds problematic. A company video showing how these AI-powered tools work says it is “for informational purposes only” and provides no further details. (Source: PCWorld)

Why this is important for your business:

Hmm… “Information only” isn't very helpful at this point. It feels like Slack and other business apps are announcing as much as they can about AI advances in order to gain acceptance (and let users know they're making progress). When will Slack users really start seeing the benefits of AI? Probably not this year.

3 – Google announces that it will start mass blocking of Gmail from April 2024.

Starting in April, Gmail will begin a plan to reduce the amount of spam in Gmail accounts. Gmail's email authentication requirements were announced last year. As an update on his first story, Davey Winder says: forbes Google has confirmed that it will begin rejecting some “non-compliant” emails and will then “increment” the rejection rate. A Google spokesperson said the implementation of email verification will be “phased and gradual.” As for the percentage of “non-complaint” traffic, we don't know yet, but there are already reports of errors occurring with some high-volume senders. (Source: Forbes)

Why this is important for your business:

What does Gmail's spam folder look like? If you’re like me, you have a lot of stuff! And some of those spam messages are clearly spam. Google could help us by simply rejecting the message instead of putting it in the spam folder. The advantage is that fewer emails need to be sorted to determine if they are truly spam. But let's hope Google gives a proper rejection and not a rejection from the prospect.

4 – Is it time to automate your business? Here are 18 tools to help you.

The Chamber of Commerce has published a list of automation tools that small business owners can start leveraging to free up their time to focus on more rewarding aspects, such as customer building and relationships. Included tools include his Xero and Zoho Books for billing/cashflow maintenance. Monday.com and Smartsheet are recommended for operations and project management. Both help business owners with scheduling, workflow, task reminders, and more. As CRM system adoption evolves, Hubspot and Zoho CRM are listed for customized messaging, email automation, and customer database maintenance, respectively. See the link in the story for the complete list. (Source: Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

Why this is important for your business:

So you thought the Chamber of Commerce was a lobbyist for businesses? They are, but kudos to the content team that created this list. Very helpful.

5 – Why Build-A-Bear pushes checkout to tablets.

Build-A-Bear, a retailer where customers can create and customize their own bears as gifts or participate in family workshops, has added tablets in its stores to improve the customer experience. Tablets allow employees to provide personalized service to customers while also helping reduce checkout times. According to Dara Meath, Build-A-Bear's chief technology officer, transactions can be processed anywhere in the store, which is a big advantage. “What we wanted to do was really bring that experience to people.” [customers] And we'll help you start the journey of seeing and understanding the other gifts and opportunities we have to offer, without having to base yourself on standards. [point of sale],” she said. The retailer has 323 stores nationwide. (Source: Retail Dive)

Why this is important for your business:

Have you considered handing out tablets to customers when they enter your store? That might be a good idea. Or maybe not. People want personal interaction. But if you think it will help your sales process, it's something to consider. The team at Build A Bear clearly thinks so.