AI Memory Is Still in Its GPT 2 Era

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Dec 19, 2025

The discussion dives deep into Sam Altman's claim that AI memory is stuck in its 'GPT-2 era.' Topics include the challenges of achieving perfect recall, the importance of selective forgetting, and the potential of memory as a competitive advantage in AI platforms. Amazon's Alexa Plus launch is examined, showcasing its capabilities in document ingestion. The hosts contrast AI-first product design with legacy tools, emphasizing the need for a complete redesign rather than simple bolt-ons. They also explore how voice-first assistants like Alexa compete with traditional AI applications.

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INSIGHT

Memory Still Early Stage

Sam Altman describes AI memory as 'GPT-2 era', implying current memory is primitive compared to what's coming.
The panel agrees there is vast runway for memory improvements in 2026 and beyond.

INSIGHT

Compute And Storage Limit Memory Design

Andy Halliday argues models can't retain per-user history internally and must fetch context at inference.
He warns of enormous storage and compute costs for global personalized memory.

ADVICE

Prefer Just-In-Time, Selective Memory

Design memory to be just-in-time and selective rather than perfect recall to avoid overload and cost.
Prefer forgetting one-offs and promoting repeated behaviors into persistent memory.

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