Recently
, OpenAI introduced
Operator, an AI agent now available to some users, designed to automate tasks like grocery shopping and expense report filing.
Operator is part of a new wave of AI agents capable of acting on behalf of users by navigating the internet autonomously. It’s designed to handle tasks such as:
-
- Making restaurant reservations
- Transferring corporate data
Currently, in a “research preview” phase, Operator is accessible to ChatGPT Pro users in the United States, with a subscription costing $200 monthly. This preview status indicates that the product is still evolving and may have some limitations or errors.
Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer, explained that Operator aims to save users time at home and work by automating routine tasks. Initially, the company is focusing on engaging its most active users, who are more likely to understand and tolerate the product’s experimental nature. “It represents a significant shift in human-computer interaction,” –
Brad
OpenAI is also collaborating with tech firms like Instacart, Uber, eBay, Priceline, OpenTable, and Etsy to enhance user accessibility on the Operator homepage. These companies are not financially affiliated with OpenAI for this collaboration.
Notably, several other tech companies are developing similar AI capabilities. Additionally,
News Corp, the owner of The Wall Street Journal, has a content-licensing partnership with OpenAI.
