• Dots will decide how to work autonomously toward a goal you set
• They have their own cloud computer and browser for safety
• Only Pro and Business Premium users are getting access for now

OpenAI has launched a new type of always-on AI agent within ChatGPT designed to take ongoing actions for work rather than waiting for individual prompts.

The new GPT-6-powered feature, Dots, means ChatGPT can keep working on tasks between conversations, only bringing things back to the user when they require specific attention or permission.

Designed to be more of an autonomous agent, the company explains that users only need to set goals and boundaries, and the Dots should be able to go about working out what happens next.

ChatGPT’s Dots ramp up the ‘autonomous’ in agentic AI

The fundamental difference for ChatGPT’s Dots is that they each have their own cloud computer and browser, giving them an environment within which they can interact with the broader web, use apps, run code and work with other plugins, keeping users’ computers totally separate and free of any potential damage an autonomous agent could otherwise take.

A Dot’s activity is shown as either being in progress, scheduled or completed, with some example use cases spanning checking a user’s calendar to provide them with a morning report, or reviewing information from connected services and apps.

And to make Dots even more like proactive colleagues, the company has already added them into Slack and Teams, with text support also coming soon.

Built-in safeguards also promise to pause or stop a Dot’s work if their system detects malicious instructions or behavior.

They’re coming first to Pro and Business Premium users at no additional cost, and only work towards a set goal will consume usage limits – conversations with dots are totally free. Dots need to be set up on the desktop app or a browser first, but from there, they’ll also be available to interact with on the mobile app.

OpenAI didn’t share plans for a broader rollout, but given its previous deployment phases, it’s possible that Dots could extend to other subscription types in the future once early users get to grips with real-world use cases and costs.