OpenAI recently introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, the ChatGPT Agent, which is now being made available to users after an initial delay. The announcement came on July 18 from the San Francisco-based company, detailing the agent’s capabilities to perform various tasks. However, almost a week later, many users found that the feature was still unavailable. On Thursday, OpenAI confirmed that the rollout had faced delays but that access was finally being extended to the web and desktop applications for paid subscribers.
ChatGPT Agent Suffers a Delay
In a recent update on X (formerly known as Twitter), OpenAI announced the full rollout of the ChatGPT Agent for Plus, Pro, and Team users, expressing regrets over the delay. However, the company did not elaborate on the reasons behind the postponement. In the comments section, numerous users mentioned that they had still not received access to the feature.
The ChatGPT Agent is viewed as a more sophisticated tool compared to Operator, which was introduced the previous year. While Operator could perform tasks autonomously, it had limitations concerning complex tasks that required multiple commands. In contrast, the new ChatGPT Agent is designed to tackle such challenges. OpenAI has indicated plans to phase out Operator in the coming weeks.
Upon its launch, OpenAI emphasized that the ChatGPT Agent is capable of interacting with websites and interfaces akin to Operator, synthesizing information like the Deep Research feature, and leveraging the conversational abilities of ChatGPT.
To facilitate task completion, the Agent is equipped with a text-based browser for gathering information, a visual browser for web interaction, an integrated development environment (IDE) for coding-related activities, and access to public application programming interfaces (APIs). It operates on a virtual computer that integrates all of these functionalities.
Additionally, the ChatGPT Agent can connect to external platforms and data repositories such as Gmail and GitHub through connectors. This allows for collaborative work, enabling users to take over tasks, log into accounts, or modify ongoing tasks. A small monitoring window within the chat interface keeps users informed about the Agent’s actions.
