OpenAI releases 'Agent Mode' as it looks for a much-needed win
OpenAI said the new tool is a ChatGPT agent that can tackle complex tasks "using its own computer."
That includes requests like "look at my calendar and brief me on upcoming client meetings based on recent news" and "plan and buy ingredients to make Japanese breakfast for four," the company said in its announcement.
"Starting today, Pro, Plus, and Team users can activate ChatGPT's new agentic capabilities directly through the tools dropdown from the composer by selecting 'agent mode' at any point in any conversation," the company said.
The release is a much-needed distraction from what has been a bumpy summer for the world's premier AI startup, which in March was valued at $300 billion after raising another $40 billion.
OpenAI has faced increased competition from Big Tech giants like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft recently. Google, for example, hired staffers from AI coding assistant startup Windsurf after its deal with OpenAI collapsed. Meta poached several of OpenAI's top staffers to bolster its own ranks, and Amazon is developing a potentially unflattering film about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
It's also navigating disagreements with its largest investor, Microsoft, and a trademark suit related to its much-hyped collaboration with io, the design company founded by famed Apple designer Jony Ive.
Elon Musk's xAI, meanwhile, released the latest version of its chatbot, Grok, this month. OpenAI, on the other hand, delayed the release of its own new model.
With the release of Agent Mode, the ChatGPT maker is reminding everyone that it's still, for now, the leading AI company out there.
Agent Mode will allow ChatGPT users to do all kinds of things, including parsing data and creating spreadsheets and slides, competing directly with Microsoft and Google.
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