ChatGPT now ‘Thinks and Acts,’ OpenAI claims in new update
As artificial intelligence continues to advance rapidly, OpenAI—the creator of the popular AI tool ChatGPT—has unveiled a groundbreaking update: the ChatGPT agent. This new update empowers ChatGPT to handle complex tasks independently using its integrated computing capabilities.
“ChatGPT now thinks and acts,” OpenAI announced in a statement on July 17. This innovative enhancement enables users to delegate intricate tasks to ChatGPT, ranging from practical daily activities to sophisticated professional projects.
Users can now instruct ChatGPT to execute requests such as “Review my calendar and provide a briefing on upcoming client meetings based on recent developments,” “Plan and order ingredients for a Japanese breakfast for four,” or “Conduct competitor analysis and compile the insights into a presentation deck.”
Although the tool necessitates manual intervention at key stages, the update has the potential to significantly benefit millions of users. As of March, OpenAI reported approximately 500 million weekly ChatGPT users.
Connectors extend ChatGPT's abilities, enabling it to gather relevant information, summarize your daily inbox, and identify available meeting slots. However, taking actions on these external sites will require you to securely log in through the browser," the statement added.
ChatGPT agent intelligently browses websites, filters and analyzes results, securely prompts users for authentication when necessary, executes code, and generates editable slideshows and spreadsheets summarizing its analyses. Users retain full control, with the ability to interrupt the AI's process at any point to clarify instructions, adjust its path, or redefine the task entirely.
However, ChatGPT's increased online autonomy comes with potential data privacy concerns and errors risks, issues that OpenAI proactively addresses.
“ChatGPT is explicitly designed to seek user permission before performing real-world actions, such as online purchases. Sensitive activities like sending emails will always require active user oversight,” the company clarified.
“While the ChatGPT agent already significantly enhances task management capabilities, this launch represents just the first step,” OpenAI continued. “Regular updates and enhancements will continuously expand its functionality, making ChatGPT increasingly valuable and effective for users.”
Currently valued at $300 billion as of March, OpenAI confirmed the new ChatGPT agent is accessible to Pro, Plus, and Team subscription users.
