Google Gemini gets automatic memory for personalized AI chats

Google is implementing a significant update to its Gemini AI chatbot, enabling it to automatically recall details from past conversations without requiring explicit prompts from the user. This enhancement is designed to make interactions with the AI feel more personalized, as Gemini will now inherently remember key preferences and specific information previously discussed.

The new functionality builds upon an earlier update that allowed users to instruct Gemini to remember certain details. Now, that process becomes seamless. For instance, if a user previously engaged Gemini for ideas on a YouTube channel focused on Japanese culture, a subsequent request for new video concepts might automatically suggest content related to trying Japanese food, leveraging the AI’s stored knowledge of the user’s interests.

This move by Google comes amidst a broader industry discussion about the implications of AI chatbots retaining conversational memory. A recent New York Times article highlighted an increase in reports of “delusional” chat interactions following ChatGPT’s introduction of similar cross-chat memory features in April. Last week, OpenAI acknowledged these concerns, stating it was actively developing additional safety guardrails to better detect and address signs of mental or emotional distress in user interactions.

When questioned about these potential issues, Google spokesperson Elijah Lawal affirmed the company’s continuous efforts to enhance its safeguards. Lawal emphasized that the core focus remains on developing a personal AI assistant, where Gemini’s ability to learn user preferences is paramount. Equally crucial, he noted, is providing users with straightforward controls to tailor their experience, allowing them to enable or disable this feature at any time.

This automatic memory feature will be activated by default for users. Those who prefer to disable it can do so by navigating to the Gemini app’s settings, selecting “Personal Context,” and then toggling off the “Your past chats with Gemini” option. The rollout of this feature begins today for Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro model in select countries, with plans to extend it to more locations and the Gemini 2.5 Flash model in the future.

In related privacy adjustments, Google will soon rename its “Gemini Apps Activity” setting to “Keep Activity.” If this option is enabled, Google will utilize a sample of file and photo uploads to Gemini to help improve its services for all users, a practice set to commence on September 2nd. This “Keep Activity” setting will be turned off by default, and crucially, it will remain disabled for users who had previously deactivated the “Gemini Apps Activity” setting.

Furthermore, Google is introducing a new “temporary chats” option within Gemini, offering an additional layer of privacy. Conversations conducted in temporary chats will not appear in the user’s recent chat history or be linked to the “Keep Activity” setting. Critically, Gemini will not use these temporary discussions to personalize future interactions, nor will Google leverage them to train its AI models. These conversations will only be retained for a limited period of 72 hours, making them ideal for exploring sensitive or private questions without the AI referencing those details in subsequent, standard interactions.