Git for Conversations: ChatGPT5 Debuts "Branch in a New Chat"

OpenAI's "branch in new chat" feature, launched September 2025, lets users explore multiple conversation paths while preserving context—like Git for conversations. Combined with ChatGPT's persistent memory system that remembers user preferences across sessions, this creates switching costs competitors like Claude and Gemini can't match. While GPT-5's launch faced backlash, the memory architecture transforms AI from stateless tool to persistent partner. Science fiction predicted this: memory, not raw intelligence, determines which AI systems win long-term user loyalty and survive market consolidation.