OpenAI has announced a new feature to automate complex tasks, such as planning vacations, filling out forms, and making restaurant reservations. Known as “Operator,” the new feature was described as “an agent that can go to the web to perform tasks for you,” in an OpenAI blog post published on Thursday.
So-called “agents” are capable of independently carrying out tasks for human users. Right now, Operator is only available to ChatGPT Pro users in the US, but the company plans a wider rollout in the coming months. The news follows an announcement from Anthropic in October 2024, which introduced “Computer Use” to perform similarly complex tasks.
With Trump back in the White House, the AI race is reaching fever pitch. On Tuesday, the President overturned a Biden-issued executive order designed to mitigate the potential risks of AI. A day later, he unveiled “Project Stargate,” a new company comprised of OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle members that aims to “power the next generation of AI.”
OpenAI Launches Advanced “Operator” Feature
OpenAI has introduced a new feature, known as “Operator,” which can independently perform complex processes, including filling out forms, booking vacations, and making dinner reservations. It is currently only available to ChatGPT Pro users, but a wider release is expected in the near-future.
Operator is trained to interact with “the buttons, menus, and text fields that people use daily,” meaning that it can “go to the web to perform tasks for you,” says the company. Alongside this, it can ask follow-up questions to gain deeper insight into tasks, such as requesting login information. Users can take control of the screen at any time, to mitigate potential privacy concerns.
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According to OpenAI, Operator uses a “Computer-Using Agent” model, which combines “ChatGPT-4o’s vision capabilities with advanced reasoning through reinforcement learning.” Presently, it struggles with some tasks, including managing calendars and creating presentations.
OpenAI Rises to Anthropic Challenge
In October 2024, Anthropic rolled out “Computer Use,” its own iteration of a complex task-solving agent. At the time, Jared Kaplan, chief science officer at Anthropic, told CNBC: “[It can] use computers in basically the same way that we do.” He added that it can complete tasks with “tens or even hundreds of steps.”
Computer Use, which is still in beta, can interpret the content of a webpage, select buttons, enter text, navigate websites, and ultimately complete tasks that traditionally require significant input from humans. Anthropic hopes that it will soon be used to automate lengthy processes for millions of users.
But with Operator, OpenAI is going head-to-head with the Amazon-backed AI startup, as competition in the burgeoning AI space intensifies.
Trump Return Heralds AI Frenzy
With his second term in the Oval Office beginning this week, President Trump has wasted no time in making his authority felt. He acted quickly to repeal a 2023 executive order signed by Joe Biden that introduced some guardrails to reduce the potential risks of AI. A day later, he announced federal funding to the tune of $500 billion for the newly-formed “Project Stargate” – with OpenAI among the companies spearheading the project.
The stage is set for a new epoch in the AI battle. As a matter of fact, shots have already been fired, with X CEO and DOGE chair Elon Musk clashing with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In response to the Stargate announcement, Musk took to X, formerly Twitter, to claim: “They don’t actually have the money. SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.” Altman clapped back: “Wrong, as you surely know…I realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies.”
