ChatGPT will soon shop online, make PowerPoints on your behalf
OpenAI is rolling out new options for chatbot ChatGPT to carry out a variety of increasingly complicated tasks on a user's behalf, part of its push to bring so-called AI agents to the mainstream.
ChatGPT agent, set to be unveiled during a livestreamed event on Thursday, is designed to streamline personal and professional projects, such as planning a meal and ordering ingredients for it online, or creating a slideshow for a business meeting. The tool works through OpenAI's flagship chatbot and combines the capabilities of two AI services it rolled out earlier this year: Operator, which can browse, type and click on the internet much in the way a human would; and Deep Research, which is meant to handle time-consuming online research.
The San Francisco-based company said the agent features will be available immediately to its paid Pro, Plus and Team subscribers, with plans to release it later this summer to other enterprise and education customers. Some of the details of the software were previously reported by the Information.
A growing number of tech companies, including OpenAI backer Microsoft Corp and rival Anthropic, are focusing on agents, or AI software that can complete multistep tasks for users with minimal supervision. OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman previously said agents will be "the next giant breakthrough' for AI. The hope is that such tools can save users time and thereby live up to the long-held promise that AI will make people more productive. For now, however, the software can still be frustrating and slow.
In a demonstration of the ChatGPT agent this week, Neel Ajjarapu, OpenAI's product manager for the software, gave the chatbot a detailed prompt: Browse Etsy for vintage-style lamps that are under a couple hundred dollars and available with free shipping, then put the best-looking items in his online shopping cart and provide a URL for each one.
OpenAI has also experimented with using the tool to make presentations and PowerPoints, Ajjarapu said, though he cautioned it's more for making "very early rough drafts' of presentations people can then refine. Microsoft, the company that makes PowerPoint, also offers AI tools to help professionals draft presentations.
Ajjarapu said the AI model that powers the tool uses a computer and web browser to complete assignments. It can also take in feedback from the user while a task is underway and alter its approach, he said. While users are accustomed to chatting in nearly real time with ChatGPT, it can take much longer – several minutes at least – for the chatbot to complete agent-like tasks.
AI agents present new safety and security risks, given the potential for AI to make mistakes or be misused by bad actors. The company said ChatGPT agent is meant to turn down some tasks, including those related to finances or legal advice. There are also a number of actions the tool will seek permission for before carrying out, including making purchases, the company said. For some tasks, such as writing emails, the service will require a user to supervise it.
As with the launches of Operator and Deep Research, the company acknowledged its latest agent effort still needs work.
"It is far from perfect,' said OpenAI Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil during the demonstration. "But I think if we had gone back six months ago or 12 months ago and said this was going to be possible today, we would have been pretty excited about it.' – Bloomberg
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
3 hours ago
- Barnama
Value Store Operator Eco-Shop Posts Higher Earnings, Revenue In FY2025
BUSINESS KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 (Bernama) -- Eco-Shop Marketing Bhd recorded a net profit of RM204.32 million for its financial year ended May 31, 2025 (FY2025), from RM177.28 million a year earlier. The Johor-based dollar-store chain stated that the improved net profit was achieved despite higher operating costs arising from its expanded store network and the implementation of minimum wage policies. Revenue for the year also strengthened to RM2.79 billion against RM2.40 billion, underpinned by the net addition of 74 new stores during the financial year. 'Same-store sales growth (SSSG) recorded a marginal decline of 0.4 per cent, reflecting normalisation in consumer spending at mature outlets, partly attributed to product availability challenges,' the group said in a Bursa Malaysia filing today. The number of sales transactions increased 21.6 per cent to 114.8 million in FY2025. For the fourth quarter, the retailer recorded a net profit of RM49.41 million against RM63.27 million year-on-year. Revenue for the quarter, however, rose to RM688.98 million against RM640.67 million a year earlier, primarily driven by the continued expansion of the group's store network, with the net addition of 22 new stores in the quarter versus 19 in the fourth quarter of 2024. The total store count increased to 371 stores in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 297 in the fourth quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, the company declared an interim single-tier dividend of 1.0 sen per ordinary share or approximately RM57.5 million in respect of FY2025, to be paid on Aug 26, 2025. The entitlement date for the dividend falls on Aug 12, 2025. According to the filing, the number of sales transactions increased 12.4 per cent to 28.9 million in the fourth quarter of FY2025.
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Interactive Brokers considers launching new stablecoin for customers
FILE PHOTO: Thomas Peterffy, chairman and founder of Interactive Brokers Group, Inc., speaks during the Piper Sandler Global Exchange and FinTech Conference in New York City, U.S., June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File photo NEW YORK (Reuters) -Interactive Brokers Group is considering launching a stablecoin for customers, joining a number of large financial firms that are betting big on the digital token boom as the U.S. eases regulations around the crypto industry. The deliberations come at a time when the underlying infrastructure of global financial markets is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation due to the proliferation of blockchain-based assets like stablecoins. In an interview with Reuters, Interactive Brokers' billionaire founder Thomas Peterffy said the company is working on potentially issuing stablecoins, but has yet to make a final decision on how that will be offered to customers. Interactive Brokers, which is one of the world's leading discount brokers with a market value of about $110 billion, currently has a partnership with crypto platform Paxos and is also an investor in crypto exchange Zero Hash. Through these tie-ups, Interactive Brokers offers trading in various cryptocurrencies to customers. The popular trading platform is now working on enabling instant, 24/7 stablecoin funding for brokerage accounts, as well as supporting asset transfers for commonly traded cryptocurrencies, said Peterffy, who also sounded a note of caution on the risks of rapid widespread adoption of crypto. "It's basically hard to grasp its fundamental value. If we see people adopting it and ascribing a value to it, I'm okay with that, but I'm still not convinced," said Peterffy. Among the options being considered, the Greenwich, Connecticut-based firm could allow customers to use stablecoins issued by other financial institutions to fund their accounts, depending upon the credibility of the issuer. Stablecoins are blockchain-based tokens acting as a proxy for an asset that allow people to move money across borders without interacting with the banking system. Critics have warned that this makes them useful for criminals who want to avoid banks' anti-money laundering checks. Online brokerage firm Robinhood recently launched a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar called the Global Dollar Network through a consortium that included other crypto platforms like Kraken and Galaxy Digital. The Global Dollar Network is based around a stablecoin called USDG, which is issued by Paxos. Interactive Brokers, which last year launched a predictions market called ForecastEx that allows investors to buy "yes" or "no" contracts in response to questions, is one of the largest U.S. trading platforms with about 3.87 million customer accounts at the end of June, a jump of 32% from last year. Like other brokerages, Interactive Brokers has benefited from elevated levels of trading due to market volatility this year that was triggered by U.S. tariff policy. Its shares have surged about 47% since the start of the year, outperforming the S&P 500 Investment Banking & Brokerage index, which has risen roughly 20% during the same period. "We view the two innovations (prediction markets and crypto investments) as an effective hedge to any disruption in the firm's core equity, futures, and derivatives businesses," Morningstar analysts said in a note dated July 18. (Reporting by Anirban Sen in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Value store operator Eco-Shop posts higher earnings, revenue in FY25
KUALA LUMPUR: Eco-Shop Marketing Bhd recorded a net profit of RM204.32 million for its financial year ended May 31, 2025 (FY2025), from RM177.28 million a year earlier. The Johor-based dollar-store chain stated that the improved net profit was achieved despite higher operating costs arising from its expanded store network and the implementation of minimum wage policies. Revenue for the year also strengthened to RM2.79 billion against RM2.40 billion, underpinned by the net addition of 74 new stores during the financial year. "Same-store sales growth (SSSG) recorded a marginal decline of 0.4 per cent, reflecting normalisation in consumer spending at mature outlets, partly attributed to product availability challenges," the group said in a Bursa Malaysia filing today. The number of sales transactions increased 21.6 per cent to 114.8 million in FY2025. For the fourth quarter, the retailer recorded a net profit of RM49.41 million against RM63.27 million year-on-year. Revenue for the quarter, however, rose to RM688.98 million against RM640.67 million a year earlier, primarily driven by the continued expansion of the group's store network, with the net addition of 22 new stores in the quarter versus 19 in the fourth quarter of 2024. The total store count increased to 371 stores in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 297 in the fourth quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, the company declared an interim single-tier dividend of 1.0 sen per ordinary share or approximately RM57.5 million in respect of FY2025, to be paid on Aug 26, 2025. The entitlement date for the dividend falls on Aug 12, 2025. According to the filing, the number of sales transactions increased 12.4 per cent to 28.9 million in the fourth quarter of FY2025. "The price increase was effected on April 14, 2025, which raised the selling price of Eco-Shop products to RM2.60 in Peninsular Malaysia and RM2.80 in East Malaysia, contributing to the group's revenue uplift," Eco-Shop said. The group said, as consumer preferences continue to shift toward affordability and convenience, Eco-Shop is well-positioned to scale further and increase its relevance nationwide. "We remain vigilant in managing inflationary and structural cost pressures, including higher electricity tariffs, the expanded Sales and Services Tax, and the 2.0 per cent EPF contribution for foreign workers. "We are strengthening our resilience through supply chain efficiencies, strategic pricing, productivity improvements, and close collaboration with our suppliers," it added. The group said that despite a setback in SSSG, its margins and performance are expected to remain healthy or continue to improve going forward. "Our store network expansion continues to be a key long-term strategy for deeper market penetration. We remain focused on delivering strong, sustainable financial performance over the long term," said Eco-Shop.
