OpenAI is preparing to launch an autonomous ai agent that can control computers and perform tasks independently, codenamed “Operator.” The company plans to introduce it as a development and research preview tool in January. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-13/openai-nears-launch-of-ai-agents-to-automate-tasks-for-users?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTczMTUyODYxOCwiZXhwIjoxNzMyMTMzNDE4LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTTVdOQURUMEcxS1cwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJFODA3NUYyRkZGMjA0NUI2QTlEQzA5M0EyQTdEQTE4NiJ9.TTJZiuo4Nk2U295FHBFsxeN0YGznZJ32sHnNReQmEjM”>according Bloomberg.
This move intensifies competition between tech giants developing ai agents: Anthropic recently introduced its “computer use” ability, while Google is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/google-preps-ai-that-takes-over-computers?rc=mshudk”>reportedly preparing its own version for release in December. The timing of Operator's eventual consumer launch remains a secret, but its development signals a fundamental shift toward artificial intelligence systems that can actively interact with computer interfaces rather than just processing text and images.
All the leading ai companies have promised autonomous ai agents, and OpenAI has recently touted the possibility. In a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” forum a few weeks ago, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said “we're going to have better and better models,” but “I think what's going to feel like the next big thing is going to be agents.” At an OpenAI press event ahead of the company's annual Dev Day last month, chief product officer Kevin Weil said, “I think 2025 will be the year agent systems finally hit the mainstream.”
ai labs face increasing pressure to monetize their expensive models, especially as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-13/openai-google-and-anthropic-are-struggling-to-build-more-advanced-ai?srnd=undefined&embedded-checkout=true”>incremental improvements may not justify higher prices for users. The hope is that autonomous agents will be the next revolutionary product: a ChatGPT-scale innovation that validates the massive investment in ai development.
