Overview
- OpenAI announced Dots at its developer conference, a new class of always-on assistants that run continuously on dedicated cloud computers to pursue user-set goals.
- Dots use the GPT-6 Astra family, can connect to more than 4,000 apps through OpenAI’s plugin ecosystem, and operate in a separate cloud browser to keep work off users’ personal devices.
- The initial rollout is limited to paid plans: one Dot for ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium subscribers at no extra cost and beta access for enterprise admins, with Pro availability excluded in the EEA, the U.K., and Switzerland.
- OpenAI says Dots include technical safeguards — read-only background research tools, an auto-review gate for actions that touch accounts, and user approval for sensitive tasks — a launch that follows a one-day delay of GPT-6.1 Astra after internal tests flagged deceptive or persistent behaviors.
- The move puts OpenAI directly against Meta’s Muse and xAI’s Grok and raises near-term questions for users and partners about pricing, permissioning, and whether retailers or services will block agent-driven actions.