When OpenAI first introduced its “Operator” feature back in January, many of us barely noticed. Some didn’t understand it; others simply didn’t connect with it.
But now, months later, OpenAI has quietly reintroduced the concept—refined, renamed, and reimagined. It’s called ChatGPT Agent, and this time, it’s hard to ignore.
From answers to actions
Unlike the ChatGPT many have grown used to—offering quick answers, summaries, or code snippets—this new version takes things a step further. It doesn’t just tell you what to do; it can do things for you. Make restaurant reservations. Order products online. Compile personalized job opportunities. Browse the web. Even sift through your Gmail or navigate your Google Drive. And all of this through a command-line-style interface that brings power users—and perhaps soon, everyone else—closer to a more autonomous digital assistant.
If that sounds impressive, it is. Well... at least in theory.
In practice, the experience can still feel a little rough around the edges. Ask ChatGPT to find you a hotel or send an email, and it might fall back on its familiar habits: offering advice rather than execution. It often explains why it can’t do something—politely, sometimes humorously, but still, frustratingly. The promise of hands-free productivity is there, but it’s still learning how to deliver.
Behind the curtain, ChatGPT Agent works by deploying multiple specialized sub-agents. It can spin up a browser, load up temporary virtual machines, and interact with programs like Word or Excel. It’s not just browsing—it’s operating.
A business model takes shape
Perhaps the most telling shift is not in what the Agent does, but what it signals. OpenAI is carving out a clearer business model. If your AI agent can make purchases, then OpenAI can take a cut. That introduces the risk, of course, that AI becomes a glorified shopping channel—hawking sponsored products or poor-quality deals. But OpenAI insists it won’t go there.
Still, the commercial intent is clear. OpenAI isn’t just building a tool; it’s constructing a platform that others might soon pay to use or build upon. And in that, it’s not alone.
A crowded, fast-moving race
The Agent’s debut lands in a climate of intense competition. Google, Anthropic, Perplexity—they’re all running full-speed toward the same horizon: a world where AI not only responds but acts. The difference is that while ChatGPT once ignited a global wave of fascination, this latest update hasn’t stirred quite the same excitement. There’s no viral spark this time. Not yet.
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And yet, within the tech and business worlds, enthusiasm is white-hot. Unlike general-purpose chatbots, AI agents come with obvious use cases and revenue streams. Companies can monetize the actions, not just the words. That changes the game.
OpenAI seems to know this. The company isn’t just releasing a new feature—it’s trying to awaken something dormant. It’s asking us to reimagine what ChatGPT could be. Not just a writer, but a submitter. Not just a scheduler, but a doer. A tireless digital colleague who not only drafts a school report but emails it to the teacher, creates a social media post, prints a physical copy, and ships it to your doorstep—all before morning.
That’s the dream. But how close are we?
Where excitement meets anxiety
With new capabilities come new vulnerabilities. What if the Agent misfires? What if it clicks the wrong button, sends the wrong email, or unsubscribes you from something vital? What if it accidentally insults a friend or places an unwanted order? Even with good intentions, the risk of error is real.
Worse still, what if bad actors exploit it? OpenAI itself has warned that agents could be tricked into visiting malicious websites, inadvertently exposing users to data theft or worse. One especially chilling warning: the Agent might be abused in the development of biological weapons, even by users with little technical knowledge.
To its credit, OpenAI is sounding the alarm as loudly as anyone. The company stresses that users remain in control—approvals are required before any significant action. It’s also using “red teams” to test for vulnerabilities and claims the Agent won’t remember past actions or store data that could be leveraged by hackers.
The safety nets are there. But so is the uncertainty.
Who gets it? And what’s next?
For now, ChatGPT Agent is available only to paying users—Pro, Plus, and Team subscribers—each with their own usage limits. Free-tier users will have to wait, and perhaps that’s for the best. The feature is powerful, but not yet seamless.
There’s something undeniably seductive about the idea of an AI that acts on your behalf. That handles the minutiae. That saves you time. But we’re still in the early days, watching as this promise takes shape—one command, one task, one cautious click at a time.