In the Past Week, OpenAI’s Operator Has Done the Following for Me
Using the New AI Agent
In the past week, OpenAI’s Operator has done the following things for me:
- Ordered me a new ice cream scoop on Amazon.
- Bought me a new domain name and configured its settings.
- Booked a Valentine’s Day date for me and my wife.
- Scheduled a haircut.
These tasks were mostly done autonomously, although I did have to nudge it along from time to time and occasionally rescue it from a loop of failed attempts.
What is Operator?
If you’re just catching up — or if you’ve been distracted by the DeepSeek news this week, which has overshadowed all other A.I. news — Operator is a new so-called A.I. agent released last week by OpenAI. The tool is only available to people who pay $200 a month for the company’s highest subscription tier, ChatGPT Pro. It gives users the ability to direct an A.I. agent that can use a web browser, fill out forms and take other actions on a user’s behalf.
The Future of AI Agents
A.I. agents are all the rage in Silicon Valley right now. Some industry insiders think they’re the next big step in A.I. capabilities, because an A.I. agent that can use a computer can actually accomplish valuable real-world tasks, rather than just providing assistance. Many of the leading A.I. companies, including Google and Anthropic, are testing autonomous agents that they claim companies will eventually be able to "hire" as full-fledged workers.
Using Operator
On the surface, Operator looks a bit like regular ChatGPT, except that when you give it a job — "Buy me a 30-pound bag of dog food on Amazon," for example — Operator opens a miniature browser window, types "Amazon.com" into the address bar and starts clicking around, trying to follow your instructions.
Limitations
However, I found that using Operator was usually more trouble than it was worth. Most of what it did for me I could have done faster myself, with fewer headaches. Even when it worked, it asked for so many confirmations and reassurances before acting that I felt less like I had a virtual assistant and more like I was supervising the world’s most insecure intern.
Conclusion
In all, I found that using Operator was usually more trouble than it was worth. But in its current form, Operator is more an intriguing demo than a product I’d recommend using — and definitely not something most people need to spend $200 a month on. This is, of course, early days for A.I. agents. A.I. products tend to improve from version to version, and it’s a good bet that the next iterations of Operator will be better. But in its current form, Operator is more an intriguing demo than a product I’d recommend using.
FAQs
Q: What is Operator?
A: Operator is a new A.I. agent released by OpenAI that allows users to direct an A.I. agent to perform tasks on their behalf.
Q: How much does Operator cost?
A: Operator is only available to people who pay $200 a month for the company’s highest subscription tier, ChatGPT Pro.
Q: What can Operator do?
A: Operator can use a web browser, fill out forms, and take other actions on a user’s behalf.
Q: Are A.I. agents the future of work?
A: Yes, A.I. agents have the potential to substitute for human workers in some occupations and could start to change the way we work.
Q: Are A.I. agents a threat to jobs?
A: Yes, A.I. agents could potentially displace human workers in certain industries, leading to job losses and changes in the way we work.
Q: How will A.I. agents change the internet?
A: A.I. agents could change the internet by making it more automated and potentially leading to a future where most of the web consists of robots talking to robots, buying things from robots, and writing emails that only other robots will read.
