Problem:
During long or complex processing tasks (such as large translations, file handling, or detailed analysis), ChatGPT currently leaves users uncertain whether the system is still actively working or if the session (websocket) has silently failed.
There is no explicit “heartbeat” or feedback during these operations.
Impact:
This uncertainty damages user trust.
Users might wrongly believe the session has frozen, leading to frustration, wasted time, or premature task abandonment — even when the system is still correctly processing the request.
Proposed Solutions:
- Introduce an automatic heartbeat: a simple visual indicator or brief message to reassure the user that processing is ongoing.
- Explicitly prompt users at the start of long operations to send occasional pings (simple messages like “ping”) to maintain connection and receive live updates.
- Immediate transparency: if the task becomes infeasible (due to timeouts, processing limits, or technical restrictions), ChatGPT should immediately notify the user rather than leaving the process in ambiguous silence.
Benefits:
- Stronger user trust, especially in professional or high-responsibility contexts.
- Better management of user expectations during lengthy tasks.
- Reduction of unnecessary session drop-offs and increased perceived reliability of ChatGPT during heavy workloads.
Summary:
A small but crucial improvement to communication during long tasks would greatly enhance user experience, satisfaction, and trust in ChatGPT’s reliability.