Anthropic Launches Claude Memory Import Tool to Woo ChatGPT Users
AI chatbot memories retain users’ preferences, working styles and project context, creating switching costs between platforms. Anthropic is using this dynamic to challenge OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The company secured a U.S. Defense Department AI contract worth up to $200 million in July 2025, but its relations with the government later deteriorated over restrictions on military uses.
Anthropic announced on March 2, 2026, that Claude’s memory import tool would be available free of charge across its Free, Pro, Max and Team plans. Users can export memories from services including ChatGPT and paste them into Claude. On March 4, the U.S. Defense Department formally designated Anthropic a supply-chain risk, underscoring the urgency of its push into the civilian market.
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The history behind this eventAnthropic Unifies Memory Across Claude Chat and Cowork
Anthropic previously kept memory in Claude chat separate from Claude Cowork, forcing users to repeat project details when moving from discussion to execution. A shared system is important because it turns Claude into a more continuous workplace assistant: research, planning and prior decisions made in chat can carry into Cowork tasks such as drafting management updates or conference agendas without another briefing.
Anthropic said on Aug. 25, 2026, that it was merging the two memory systems and would update saved topics while conversations are still underway. Users can inspect, edit or delete retained information. The feature is enabled by default for Free, Pro and Max subscribers across web, desktop and mobile, though iOS and Android users must install the latest app version. Sensitive details such as health, race, religion and politics are excluded by default, while government-issued identification numbers and certain other restricted data will never be stored.
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