OpenAI has unveiled Projects, a new feature for ChatGPT designed to bring smarter organization and customization to AI interactions. Part of the company’s ongoing “12 Days of OpenAI” announcements, Projects allows users to group chats, files, and custom instructions into dedicated folders, creating an organized workspace for managing tasks and workflows.
Available immediately for Plus, Pro, and Teams subscribers, the feature aims to make ChatGPT more useful for both personal and professional applications. Enterprise and educational users are expected to gain access early next year, reflecting OpenAI’s broader ambition to position ChatGPT as a central tool in daily life.
Related: All announcements from the 12 “Days of OpenAI”
Organizing ChatGPT Interactions with Projects
The Projects feature addresses a common limitation of conversational AI: the lack of continuity across sessions. By introducing project-specific folders, OpenAI enables users to organize their interactions in a way that reflects their real-world workflows. Each folder can store conversations, files, and task-specific instructions, ensuring that ChatGPT remains relevant and contextually aware within a given project.
Thomas Dimson, a technical staff member at OpenAI, referred to the feature as “smart folders,” highlighting its potential to streamline workflows for users managing multiple tasks. “This is really just another organizational tool,” he said during the livestream announcement.
Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s Chief Product Officer, said that OpenAI’s goal is to make ChatGPT a central tool for managing tasks in users’ lives.
Real-World Demonstrations: Event Planning and Technical Tasks
OpenAI provided several examples of how Projects could be applied in real-world scenarios during a live demo. In one case, front-end engineer Drew Schuster used the feature to plan a Secret Santa exchange.
By uploading a spreadsheet containing participant names and preferences, Schuster demonstrated how ChatGPT could assign pairings, suggest gift ideas, and draft personalized emails. The entire process was managed within a single project folder, showcasing the feature’s ability to centralize and streamline planning tasks.
Another example highlighted how Projects can simplify routine home maintenance. Schuster uploaded logs for household appliances and used ChatGPT to determine when a refrigerator water filter needed replacement. This capability underscores the practical applications of Projects for automating everyday tasks.
The demo also showcased how Projects integrates with ChatGPT Canvas, a feature that the company rolled out to all users with Python support earlier during the “12 Days of OpenAI.” Canvas allows users to edit and refine AI outputs visually, making it particularly useful for collaborative or technical workflows.
Dimson demonstrated this by customizing a personal website template, with ChatGPT correctly modifying the code to meet specific requirements.
Broader Strategic Implications
The launch of Projects is part of OpenAI’s broader strategy to enhance ChatGPT’s usability across diverse domains. It follows the releases of Sora, a video generation tool, and Advanced Voice Mode with Vision, which enables voice-based interactions paired with visual inputs. T
Together, these features demonstrate OpenAI’s efforts to expanding ChatGPT’s capabilities and addressing user needs across personal, professional, and creative contexts.
Projects also positions ChatGPT as a direct competitor to tools like Claude’s Projects from Anthropic. While both features enable users to manage knowledge and tasks within dedicated folders, OpenAI’s offering distinguishes itself through integrations like ChatGPT Canvas and advanced task management capabilities.
By combining these features, OpenAI aims to provide a more holistic solution for users seeking to integrate AI into their workflows.
Hints of AGI and OpenAI’s Vision
The livestream announcement included a playful nod to OpenAI’s long-term ambitions. Observant viewers noticed a project titled “AGI (Don’t show on live…)” on Dimson’s screen, sparking speculation about the company’s progress toward artificial general intelligence (AGI).
This reference aligns with previous teasers, such as a “Super Secret AGI” calendar entry revealed during an earlier demo. While OpenAI has yet to disclose specific plans, these hints suggest a forward-looking vision that extends beyond ChatGPT’s current capabilities.
Looking Ahead: OpenAI’s Evolving Ecosystem
As part of the “12 Days of OpenAI” campaign, Projects represents a significant step in transforming ChatGPT into a versatile platform that bridges personal, professional, and creative uses. By offering tools for enhanced organization and customization, OpenAI is not only addressing immediate user needs but also laying the groundwork for future innovations.
With Projects now available to Plus, Pro, and Teams users, OpenAI plans to roll out the feature to other user tiers in the coming months. Whether used for event planning, technical development, or daily task management, Projects shows ChatGPT’s potential to become an indispensable tool daily workflows.
Previous Announcements from OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI”
OpenAI’s 12 Days of OpenAI has featured daily announcements, introducing a mix of new tools, updates, and features designed to enhance ChatGPT and OpenAI’s broader AI ecosystem.
Day One: ChatGPT Pro Tier and o1 Model
OpenAI launched the ChatGPT Pro Tier, aimed at advanced users such as researchers and professionals tackling complex mathematical and scientific challenges. Priced at $200 per month, the Pro Tier includes unlimited access to the o1 model and Advanced Voice Mode.
The o1 reasoning model was officially released together with a more advanced o1 Pro mode, moving out of public preview. This model enhances reasoning capabilities, enabling ChatGPT to handle complex and multi-step logical queries with greater accuracy.
Day Two: Fine-Tuning AI Models
OpenAI hosted a developer roundtable to discuss advancements in reinforcement fine-tuning. This update focused on enabling domain-specific applications of AI models tailored to specialized fields such as science, finance, and medicine. These fine-tuned models improve performance in handling complex, field-specific tasks.
Day Three: Launch of Sora Video Generation Tool
OpenAI introduced Sora, an AI-powered video generation tool that allows users to create videos and images in nearly any style, from photorealistic visuals to abstract art. As a standalone product separate from ChatGPT, Sora represents OpenAI’s expansion into the generative video domain. This tool provides new opportunities for content creators and marketers alike.
Day Four: ChatGPT Canvas
OpenAI announced the release of ChatGPT Canvas, a text and code editor integrated into ChatGPT. The tool supports Python code execution and is compatible with Custom GPTs. Canvas provides users with an interactive environment for drafting, editing, and refining outputs, making it ideal for both technical and creative workflows.
Day Five: ChatGPT with Apple Intelligence
OpenAI confirmed the integration of ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence with the release of iOS 18.2. This update allows users to leverage enhanced vision and text-processing capabilities directly within Siri’s interface. By embedding ChatGPT into Apple’s ecosystem, OpenAI extends its reach to iOS users for a seamless AI experience.
Day Six: Advanced Voice with Vision and Santa Voice
OpenAI expanded the functionality of Advanced Voice Mode by integrating it with Vision. ChatGPT can now process not only spoken input but also visual data, including recognizing what’s on a user’s phone screen or in their surroundings. This update unlocks new potential for real-world applications, from troubleshooting physical issues to assisting with tasks requiring visual feedback.
Additionally, OpenAI introduced a festive Santa Voice option for Advanced Voice Mode users. For the holiday season, the first activation of Santa Voice resets the user’s Advanced Voice message counter, allowing extended use without interruptions.
