ChatGPT’s new agent starts thinking & acting for you on complex real‑life tasks

OpenAI has launched a new version of ChatGPT that can think and act on its own to complete tasks for users, according to the company's announcement. The artificial intelligence chatbot can now handle complex requests like planning meals, analyzing competitors, and creating presentations by using its own virtual computer. Users can ask ChatGPT to look at their calendar and brief them on upcoming meetings based on recent news, or plan and buy ingredients for cooking specific meals. The system combines three different technologies that OpenAI previously developed separately.

ChatGPT agent brings together the web browsing abilities of Operator, the research skills of Deep Research, and ChatGPT's conversational abilities into one unified system. The new feature works by intelligently navigating websites, filtering search results, and even creating editable slideshows and spreadsheets. Users stay in control throughout the process, as ChatGPT asks for permission before taking important actions and allows people to interrupt or stop tasks at any time. OpenAI reports that this launch is just the beginning, with regular improvements planned to make the system more capable and useful over time.

CNN's coverage reveals that this development represents a major shift in how people might interact with the internet in the future. The new agent mode allows ChatGPT to execute actions on behalf of users, marking another step in the tech industry's push toward digital assistants that can handle multiple tasks automatically. In a demonstration video, OpenAI employees showed how the agent could help someone prepare for a wedding by finding appropriate outfits and suggesting hotels for the event.

The feature is available for subscribers to Pro, Plus, and Team plans, building on the existing Operator and Deep Research tools that OpenAI already offers. However, CNN notes that the AI industry still faces significant challenges with these advanced systems. AI models can still produce incorrect information, show bias, and act unpredictably, as demonstrated by recent incidents with other AI chatbots. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged these concerns on hisX post, describing the technology as cutting-edge but experimental, advising users to be cautious about sharing personal information and avoiding high-stakes uses until the system improves.

Read more on Chicago Star:

• Chicago’s brown street signs reveal the city’s most overlooked history
• Wrigley Field’s heating up: Red Sox hunt 11th win, Chicago Cubs better bring the ice
• Mattel deals a new hand: UNO Social Club debuts in Las Vegas
• Ana Gasteyer, Broadway star and SNL favorite, to headline Auditorium Theatre gala
• Chicago’s North Shore: Land of trophy homes and sky-high price tags

The Wall Street Journal emphasizes the business implications of this launch, particularly its potential impact on workplace productivity and competition with existing software companies. ChatGPT agent can create spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations, automate online shopping, and perform financial analysis that might normally take employees hours to complete. Product manager Neel Ajjarapu explained that the system could handle first and second-year financial analysis work that previously required significant time investment. This capability puts OpenAI in direct competition with business software giants like Microsoft, which offers similar AI tools for creating and editing presentations and spreadsheets.

The development reflects the rapid pace at which technology companies are racing to release agent capabilities for both consumers and businesses. While AI agents promise to reduce costs and increase revenue for enterprises, they have not yet fully delivered on these goals and need better integration with other applications to reach their full potential. The Wall Street Journal notes that ChatGPT agent represents an important step forward in making ChatGPT valuable not just for answering questions, but for actually performing real-world tasks that previously required human effort.