OpenAI’s ChatGPT Pulse Writes Your Morning Briefs Automatically
▼ Summary
– OpenAI’s new Pulse feature generates personalized morning reports (5-10 briefs) while users sleep, aiming to make ChatGPT a first-morning check like social media.
– Pulse represents a strategic shift toward making ChatGPT a proactive, asynchronous assistant rather than just a reactive chatbot.
– The feature is initially launching for $200/month Pro subscribers due to high computational demands, with plans to expand to Plus and eventually all users.
– Pulse creates various report types, including news roundups and personalized briefs using context from connected apps (Gmail, Calendar) and ChatGPT memory.
– It is designed with intentional limits to avoid over-engagement and has future ambitions to become more agentic, performing tasks like making reservations.
OpenAI has introduced a new feature named Pulse for ChatGPT, designed to deliver automated, personalized morning briefs directly to users. This functionality creates between five and ten tailored reports overnight, allowing individuals to start their day fully informed. The objective is to position ChatGPT as a primary destination for morning routines, similar to checking a news application or social media feed.
Pulse represents a significant evolution in OpenAI’s consumer strategy, moving the AI from a reactive question-and-answer tool to a more proactive and asynchronous assistant. Instead of waiting for user prompts, features like Pulse aim to anticipate needs and deliver valuable information automatically. According to Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s new CEO of Applications, the goal is to democratize a level of personalized support that has traditionally been accessible only to a privileged few. She described Pulse as an initial step toward making this advanced intelligence available to everyone, beginning with Pro subscribers.
Due to the significant computational resources required, Pulse is initially being rolled out exclusively to users on the $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro plan. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently noted that some of the company’s most demanding new products would be limited to its highest-tier subscription. The company is actively working to expand its server capacity through partnerships with firms like Oracle and SoftBank to eventually support a broader user base. For now, Pulse appears as a new tab within the ChatGPT application for eligible Pro users, with plans to extend access to Plus subscribers after further optimization.
The types of reports generated by Pulse are diverse. They can range from summaries of news on a specific topic, such as updates for a favorite sports team, to highly personalized briefs that incorporate a user’s individual context. In a demonstration, product lead Adam Fry showcased examples including a news roundup on the soccer team Arsenal, family Halloween costume ideas, and a child-friendly travel itinerary for an upcoming trip.
Each report is presented as an individual “card” featuring AI-generated text and imagery. Users can tap a card to view the full report and then engage with ChatGPT to ask follow-up questions. While Pulse proactively creates some content, users can also request new automated reports or provide feedback on existing ones. A distinctive aspect of the design is that the service deliberately stops after generating a limited number of reports, displaying a message that says, “Great, that’s it for today.” This is an intentional choice to differentiate the experience from the endless scroll of engagement-driven social media platforms.
Integration with other services is a core component of Pulse’s functionality. By using ChatGPT’s Connectors, users can link applications like Google Calendar and Gmail. Once connected, Pulse can analyze emails overnight to highlight crucial messages by morning or generate an agenda based on calendar events. If a user has enabled ChatGPT’s memory feature, Pulse will also draw on context from past conversations to enhance personalization. For instance, the personalization lead shared an example where Pulse automatically incorporated her interest in running to suggest jogging routes for an upcoming London trip.
This new capability could be seen as competing with existing news aggregation services and personalized newsletters. However, the team suggests Pulse is intended to complement rather than replace these tools, and it cites its sources with links for transparency. The computational cost of generating these reports can vary significantly. Some tasks are relatively efficient, while others that involve extensive web searches and document synthesis demand considerably more power.
Looking ahead, OpenAI envisions a future where Pulse becomes more agentic, potentially handling tasks like making restaurant reservations or drafting emails for user approval. However, achieving this level of autonomy will require substantial advancements in the reliability and trustworthiness of OpenAI’s agent models, indicating such features are likely still some distance away.
(Source: TechCrunch)
