OpenAI launches Dots: the cute assistant that aims to compete with Muse

At OpenAI’s DevDay, it was presented as an assistant that, for example, spots a forgotten invoice, prepares it and waits for the go-ahead to send it. The idea is to shift ChatGPT from simply answering a question to managing a task that continues over time. OpenAI.

A dot is an agent based on GPT-6 Astra: it is cloud-based, can use a browser and connect to over 4,000 apps. You can assign a project to it, monitor its progress and step in when necessary. OpenAI claims that it learns from feedback and can seek out useful tasks even whilst the user is busy elsewhere. You can contact it via ChatGPT, Slack or Teams, either in writing or by voice. For now, you can only create one personal dot; the company envisages multiple agents capable of collaborating in the future. OpenAI

The move comes in the wake of Meta’s Muse, which has sparked interest in always-on assistants. The similarity lies in the ambition: an AI that knows the user’s preferences and carries out tasks within their apps without having to start afresh with a new conversation every time. For OpenAI, the stakes are high: to become the hub around which daily work is organised, before a competitor does. This is an interpretation of the strategy, not proof that Dots can already deliver on all the promises made at launch. theverge.com

It is precisely this autonomy that makes the issue of controls so crucial. OpenAI provides app permissions, customisable rules and approvals for certain actions. When Dots searches for job opportunities in the background, the tools available are more limited: in that mode, it cannot send messages or edit content. The company does, however, warn that it may make mistakes. Dots is currently being rolled out in eligible markets for Pro and Business Premium users, whilst Enterprise users can try it in beta if their administrator enables it. The real test now will be to see how much work it can actually get done without creating more work that needs to be monitored.

How much does it cost? Dots does not, as yet, have a separate price: the first dot is included in ChatGPT Pro, which costs $100 a month, or in Business Premium, which costs $100 a month per user when billed annually, or $125 when billed monthly.