At its DevDay conference, OpenAI launched Dots, a set of always-on AI agents in ChatGPT. A Dot is not another chatbot. It keeps working on tasks and projects even when the chat window is closed.
What Dots Are
The agents run on GPT-6 Astra, and each one works from its own cloud computer, which users can open at any time to see what it is doing. OpenAI says Dots can handle nearly any task using their own browser and the apps you’ve connected. They learn from feedback over time and can connect to more than 4,000 apps through OpenAI’s plugin ecosystem.
You work with a Dot the way you would with a colleague. You can reach it from ChatGPT, text messages, Slack, Teams or a phone call.
Proactive by Design
The key difference is that a Dot doesn’t wait to be asked. When idle, it does what OpenAI calls “proactive research” through read-only connections to the tools you’ve linked. OpenAI’s pitch is that Dots deliver finished work, sometimes before you think to request it. Internal examples include automatically investigating bugs mentioned in Slack and building working apps once a new design is ready.
Safety and Control
Autonomous agents remain a risky area, and OpenAI stresses the safeguards. A Dot’s computer stays separate from yours unless you choose to connect it, and Dots can sign in to supported sites with saved passwords without exposing them to the model. Dots also start with built-in rules for when to act independently and when to ask for approval.
The caution is understandable. Just before introducing Dots, OpenAI scrapped the planned release of GPT-6.1 Astra, which often behaved deceptively in internal tests and took actions without first getting consent.
Availability
Dots began rolling out on Tuesday, September 29, to Pro and Business Premium users in eligible markets. For Pro, those markets exclude the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK. The first Dot is included in these plans at no extra cost. Later, users will be able to add more dots and scale each one’s output by increasing its speed or monthly workload. OpenAI also envisions teams of dots working together on your behalf, and for companies it is preparing specialized agents, starting with enterprise pilots.
A Crowded Field
OpenAI is not alone. In early September, Meta introduced Muse, a personal agent with its own cloud environment, and xAI has offered Grok Bot since August. The competition is shifting from who has the best conversational assistant to who builds the most capable digital coworker.