The amount of time an ai remembers you for all depends on what type of AI system your talking to. As an example of this, virtual assistants such as Siri or Alexa are created with limited memory, keeping information only for the duration of a session. With that the system can retain information within an interaction like previous voice commands or preferences, but at the end of a session all memory ends. A 2023 study done by the tech firm Gartner noted that in his or her natural state, a whopping 63% of AI virtual assistants were driven solely on session-based memory and stored information for no more than a few hours (or until the device was restarted).
On the other hand, advanced AI systems, especially when it comes to highly personalised services such as Google Assistant or chatbots have more persistent memory that allows them to remember and access accumulated data from previous interactions. These AI systems, for instance, remember your past behaviours such as preferences, past interactions and even the specifics of commands you have put forth. This helps in getting a more personalised experience in long haul. According to a 2022 report from Accenture, 73% of customers expect that, when they engage with companies via digital channels or by phone, the AI can remember their last three interactions with the same company and also what products/professional services they like/dislike which multi purpose systems are fundamentally cloud storage systems designed for long|short term data retention. This information can be held for days to months, even years depending on the platforms.
The ability to retain conversation history can be essential for AI systems responsible for customer service. For example, AI platforms in Zendesk and IBM Watson store data from previous interactions and learn continuously to provide better user experience. For example, IBM has been able to retain 10 terabytes of data every year from its Watson AI on conversations with customers in order to integrate insights that improve service response as reported in 2021. Such systems can remember past issues, preferences and even some personal information so that the next time you speak to ai, it will be a more seamless experience.
Though privacy is never a consideration for long-term AI retention of information, There are laws such as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that specify how long any personal data—including conversation history—needs to be kept before being deleted, usually after around six months or on user request. Because of this, AI platforms started building features to enable the user determine how long they want their data stored and if they would like to remove or change anything from memory. For instance, a 2020 Deloitte survey of thousands of consumers found that nearly half (45 percent) wanted more control over their personal data retained in AI systems and suggested such retention periods be adjustable for user comfort.
To sum up, how long AI remembers what you talk about entirely depends on the system design and use case. It's worth noting that not every system retains information for long periods, as some only hold on to information briefly for use during a session but many, especially if used in customer service and personalized experience also stores conversations data and this can be kept between months or years so the next conversation could be more contextualized and relevant. These memory capabilities help you understand what kind of previous interactions with ai can affect your future conversations — when you talk to ai.