OpenAI has introduced a new AI tool called ChatGPT Agent that aims to take virtual assistance to the next level. Unlike a basic chatbot that only responds to questions, ChatGPT Agent is designed to actively perform tasks on your behalf. For instance, it can navigate your calendar, create presentations, browse the web, write code and more. It works more like a smart digital assistant that can think, plan and act based on your instructions.
The tool is being rolled out to users subscribed to OpenAI’s Pro, Plus and Team plans. To activate the tool, you just have to select the ‘agent mode’ in ChatGPT’s dropdown menu of tools.
The agent combines capabilities from OpenAI’s existing tools. It features website navigation similar to Operator and powerful research skills like Deep Research, which can scan dozens of sites and summarise information. It can also connect to third-party apps like Gmail and GitHub using ChatGPT connectors.
According to OpenAI, users can ask the agent to do tasks like “plan and buy ingredients to make Japanese breakfast for four” or “analyze three competitors and create a slide deck.” These requests require the agent to search the web, plan steps and take actions.
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OpenAI says the model powering ChatGPT Agent delivers top-tier performance on several benchmarks. It scored 41.6 percent on Humanity’s Last Exam, nearly double the score of OpenAI’s o3 and o4-mini.
OpenAI has built strong safeguards around ChatGPT Agent. A real-time monitor scans every user prompt to detect if it’s related to biology. If so, the agent’s reply goes through another layer of checks to prevent any misuse, especially in areas that could lead to harm.
To reduce risk even further, OpenAI has disabled the memory feature in ChatGPT Agent. This means the tool won’t remember past conversations. It’s still early to judge how well it performs in the real world.
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