ChatGPT could soon watch your screen and attend meetings: Altman
What's the story
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has hinted at a major evolution in AI assistants. He envisions a system that would track users' activities across their digital lives, not just respond to individual prompts. The proposed system could monitor computer screens, attend meetings and calls, and pull information from services like email and Slack. The billionaire estimated that such an assistant could become a reality within the next six months.
Future prospects
Altman's vision for next-gen AI assistants
In a conversation with Z Fellows founder Cory Levy, Altman said, "I think we are close to a world where you can have a descendant of ChatGPT watch your computer screen all the time."
He stressed that this advanced assistant could be particularly beneficial for those who deal with large amounts of information.
For instance, a start-up CEO may not have time to read every customer response or keep track of every discussion.
User control
From chatbots to digital companions
Altman envisions a future where users will have control over what information and services the system can access.
The assistant would then use that context to provide suggestions or help complete tasks.
This marks a major departure from traditional chat-based AI systems, paving the way for more advanced digital assistants capable of understanding broader aspects of a person's work.
User partnership
AI as a collaborative tool
The proposed AI assistant wouldn't take over critical decision-making but would work with the user.
It could understand the context of a document being written or a customer conversation and highlight relevant information that might otherwise be missed.
Altman believes this technology could only be one model generation away from becoming truly useful.
Tech capabilities
Current state of AI memory features
OpenAI already has memory features that can leverage information from past interactions to personalize responses. However, these don't match the continuous, cross-service monitoring Altman talked about.
His six-month estimate isn't a confirmed OpenAI product roadmap, as he didn't announce a product name or release date for such an assistant.