OpenAI has announced a groundbreaking development, Operator, a tool designed to revolutionize task automation by performing various online activities. Revealed on Thursday, Operator is an advanced agent capable of navigating the web to accomplish tasks on behalf of users. Currently, this innovative feature is accessible exclusively to ChatGPT Pro users, marking a significant step in OpenAI's technological advancements.
Operator represents OpenAI's latest foray into the competitive generative AI market, directly challenging Anthropic's earlier innovations. OpenAI has described this tool as "an agent that can go to the web to perform tasks for you," highlighting its ability to interact with "the buttons, menus, and text fields that people use daily" online. This capability allows Operator to execute tasks with remarkable precision, emulating human computer usage.
"Operator is one of our first agents, which are AIs capable of doing work for you independently," states OpenAI.
The implications of such technology are profound. Operator can handle tasks involving "tens or even hundreds of steps," a feature that underscores its potential utility for complex processes. This capability aligns with the vision of creating "powerful AI systems that are able to use a computer just like you or I could," as expressed by Alexandr Wang, CEO of Scale AI.
OpenAI plans to broaden Operator's availability, intending to integrate it into ChatGPT and extend access to Plus, Team, and Enterprise users in the future. This expansion strategy suggests a commitment to enhancing user experience across various tiers, further embedding Operator into everyday digital interactions.
Privacy concerns have not been overlooked in this ambitious rollout. Users are provided the option to delete all browsing data and log out of all sites "with one click" within the privacy section. Additionally, users can opt out of contributing to OpenAI's training data collection by disabling the "Improve the model for everyone" setting in ChatGPT.
The competition between OpenAI and Anthropic intensifies as both companies vie for dominance in the rapidly growing generative AI market. In October, Anthropic introduced "Computer Use," a feature enabling its AI agents to complete complex tasks by using computers similarly to humans. Jared Kaplan, Anthropic's chief science officer, emphasized that these agents "use computers in basically the same way that we do."
Google's recent investment of over $1 billion in Anthropic illustrates the escalating stakes within this sector. As both companies innovate and expand their offerings, the generative AI market is anticipated to exceed $1 trillion in revenue within the next decade.
"an agent that can go to the web to perform tasks for you," reiterates OpenAI.