From booking travel to writing code
A new report reveals that OpenAI is developing an AI agent called “Operator,” which is designed to perform tasks on behalf of users by interacting with a computer. This could include tasks like writing code or booking travel. Reportedly, in a recent staff meeting, OpenAI’s leadership revealed plans to release the “Operator” tool in January as a research preview. It will also be made available through the company’s application programming interface (API) for developers, according to a source who spoke anonymously.
OpenAI is apparently working on several agent-related projects, with a tool that can perform tasks in a web browser being the closest to completion. However, it’s still unclear whether this browser tool and the “Operator” agent are the same things, but most likely, they are.
The upcoming launch is part of a broader trend in the industry, where AI agents are becoming a big focus. These intelligent tools can manage complex tasks with minimal input from users. Anthropic, for example, has already introduced an agent that can observe what’s happening on a user’s computer in real-time and perform actions accordingly.
Anthropic’s Claude can perform human-like computer interactions, including cursor movement, clicking, and text input. | Video credit – Anthropic
Microsoft, a key supporter of OpenAI, has also rolled out a suite of agent tools designed to handle tasks like sending emails and managing records for employees. On the other hand, Google is preparing to launch its own AI agent, named Jarvis, which is expected to take control of your browser to carry out tasks like research, flight bookings, and more – likely similar to what OpenAI’s agent will do.
These AI agents are essentially the next evolution of the AI assistants that many of us are already familiar with, such as Gemini or ChatGPT. With AI technology constantly improving, we’re likely to see even more powerful and advanced AI agents in the future – hopefully not the kind we usually see in dystopian sci-fi movies. But hey, that’s where regulations should come into play.