Pulumi has introduced a new feature called RetainOnDelete, which allows resources to remain in the cloud provider even after being deleted from the Pulumi stack. This feature addresses user needs for retaining resources beyond the lifecycle of Pulumi programs and enables various new workflows, such as supporting data storage policies and managing shared resources. For instance, companies with data retention policies can use RetainOnDelete to ensure resources like S3 buckets remain available for backup. Additionally, it allows for the temporary management of externally owned resources without deleting them after use. RetainOnDelete also helps resolve provider-related issues by marking problematic resources, thus avoiding unnecessary delete operations. This new resource option can be set within the Pulumi program, offering a flexible solution for resource lifecycle management.