OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has suggested that the next major leap in artificial intelligence will not come from sharper reasoning abilities, but from something far more fundamental: memory.<\/p>\n
Speaking on a recent podcast with technology journalist Alex Kantrowitz, Altman<\/a> outlined a future in which AI systems are able to retain and learn from vast amounts of personal data across an individual\u2019s lifetime, fundamentally reshaping the idea of a digital personal assistant.<\/p>\n Memory, not reasoning, as the next leap<\/p>\n According to Altman, today\u2019s AI tools are already strong at reasoning tasks, but they fall short when it comes to long-term recall. Humans, he argued, remain the best personal assistants because they understand context and nuance, yet they struggle to remember details consistently.<\/p>\n AI-generated graphic content.(AI-generated graphic)<\/p>\n AI, on the other hand, does not have that limitation. Altman said the real opportunity lies in building systems that can remember everything a user has shared over time, from conversations and emails to documents and preferences. Such persistent memory could allow AI to identify patterns <\/a>and needs that people themselves may never consciously articulate.<\/p>\n He indicated that OpenAI is actively working towards this vision, suggesting that more advanced, memory-driven personal assistants could begin to emerge as early as 2026.<\/p>\n A shift in what \u2018personal assistant\u2019 means<\/p>\n Altman described persistent memory as a turning point for consumer AI. Rather than responding to isolated prompts, future systems could offer deeply personalised results, shaped by years of accumulated context.<\/p>\n In his view, this would move AI from being a reactive tool<\/a> to a proactive assistant, capable of anticipating needs and tailoring responses with a level of precision that current systems cannot achieve.<\/p>\n The discussion formed part of a broader conversation about OpenAI\u2019s long-term strategy, which also touched on infrastructure expansion, AI-powered devices and the company\u2019s ambition to eventually reach artificial general intelligence.<\/p>\n \u2018Code red\u2019 and rising competition<\/p>\n During the podcast, Altman also addressed reports of internal \u201ccode red\u201d alerts at OpenAI,<\/a> triggered by intensifying competition in the AI sector. He framed these moments not as panic, but as a deliberate strategy to stay alert and responsive.<\/p>\n He suggested that being cautious and moving quickly when a credible threat appears is healthy for the organisation. Similar situations, he noted, have occurred before, including earlier this year when new competitors such as DeepSeek gained attention.<\/p>\n