OpenAI has launched “Projects,” a highly anticipated feature designed to streamline and organize user interactions within ChatGPT. This new functionality allows users to create dedicated spaces for specific tasks, upload relevant files, set custom instructions, and tailor ChatGPT’s responses to the context of each project. The announcement came during OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI: Day 7” event, with Kevin Weil, Head of Product at OpenAI, introducing the feature alongside engineers Drew Schuster and Thomas Dimson.
This release addresses a long-standing user request for better organization within the platform. “We’ve really heard loud and clear that people want the ability to organize conversations inside of ChatGPT,” said Thomas Dimson, an engineer at OpenAI. Projects aims to provide a solution by acting as “smart folders,” enabling users to compartmentalize their interactions and maintain context across multiple sessions. This is the latest in a series of organizational improvements to ChatGPT, including the recent launch of conversation search.
Introducing Projects—an easy way to organize chats that share topics or context in 4o.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) December 13, 2024
Now available for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team users globally.
We’ll bring it to Enterprise and Edu users in January, and to Free users soon. pic.twitter.com/Bmv7kB0GKY
How Projects Works:
Projects offers several key functionalities:
- File Uploads
Users can upload relevant files directly into a project, providing ChatGPT with contextual data to inform its responses. This allows the model to analyze and incorporate information from documents, spreadsheets, and other file types. - Custom Instructions
Users can set specific instructions for each project, tailoring ChatGPT’s behavior and output. This ensures that the model adheres to specific guidelines, tone, or formatting requirements. - Organized Conversations
All conversations within a project are stored together, creating a dedicated space for related interactions. This eliminates the need to scroll through long chat histories to find relevant information. - Integration with Existing Features
Projects seamlessly integrates with existing ChatGPT features such as search and Canvas, enhancing the overall user experience.
Drew Schuster, a front-end engineer at OpenAI, demonstrated the feature during the event. He showcased how to create a new project, add files and instructions, and initiate a chat within the project context. He also highlighted the ability to add existing chats to a project using the conversation search function.
Practical Applications
Schuster provided several examples of how Projects can be used in real-world scenarios:
- Secret Santa Organization
Schuster demonstrated how he used Projects to organize a Secret Santa gift exchange, uploading survey results, setting instructions for a festive tone, and using ChatGPT to randomly assign gift givers and recipients. He also showed how the model could analyze the uploaded data and answer specific questions about the event. - Home Maintenance
Schuster showcased how he uses Projects to track home maintenance tasks, storing documentation about his appliances and creating a maintenance log. This allows him to quickly access information about his home and ask ChatGPT for guidance on various tasks. - Website Development
Thomas Dimson demonstrated how Projects can be used for programming tasks, specifically modifying a website template. He uploaded the template code, along with his resume and social links, and set custom instructions for the model to follow. He then used ChatGPT within the project to modify the template, incorporate his personal information, and even search the web for additional projects to include on his website. This demonstration highlighted the value of projects in supporting complex technical workflows.
Dimson showcased the integration with Canvas, a collaborative workspace within ChatGPT. He demonstrated how Canvas can be used to refine generated code and iterate on design choices. He also highlighted the “diff view” within Canvas, which allows users to easily see the changes made to the code by the model.
Internal Use and Benefits
The presenters emphasized how they have been using Projects internally at OpenAI for various tasks. They highlighted the benefits of having a centralized space for all relevant information and conversations, which improves efficiency and collaboration.
“I really think that team is doing quite well and just really improving again the core experience of ChatGPT, and it feels a little bit different than the turn-by-turn kind of chat that we always have,” Dimson noted.
Rollout and Availability
Kevin Weil announced that Projects is rolling out starting today to Plus, Pro, and Teams users. He also stated that the feature will be available to free users as soon as possible and will be coming to Enterprise and EDU users early in the new year. The rollout will be gradual to ensure a smooth transition and responsible engineering practices.
Key Takeaways:
- Projects is a significant update to ChatGPT, providing a much-needed organizational structure for user interactions.
- The feature offers a range of functionalities, including file uploads, custom instructions, and integration with existing features.
- Projects has a wide range of potential applications, from simple organizational tasks to complex technical workflows.
- The internal use of Projects at OpenAI demonstrates its effectiveness and value.
- The gradual rollout ensures a stable and reliable experience for all users.
This new feature marks a step forward in making AI tools more practical, efficient, and user-friendly by addressing the challenge of managing complex interactions and information within a conversational interface. By creating dedicated spaces for specific tasks and providing tools for organization and customization, OpenAI is empowering users to get more out of ChatGPT.
The introduction of Projects signifies OpenAI’s commitment to enhancing user experience and adapting ChatGPT to meet the evolving needs of its users. This organizational tool promises to transform how people interact with AI, fostering more focused, efficient, and productive conversations.
As the feature rolls out to more users, it will be interesting to see the diverse ways in which people utilize Projects to enhance their workflows and achieve their goals. The seamless integration with existing features like Canvas further strengthens the ChatGPT ecosystem, providing a comprehensive suite of tools for users to leverage the power of AI. This launch is not just an addition of a feature, but a shift towards a more organized and context-aware AI interaction paradigm.
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