OpenAI is releasing an AI that can control your PC — if you cough up $200

OpenAI may be one step closer to releasing its agent tool, called Operator, which is on track for January 2024 availability.

The artificial intelligence company first announced the Operator AI agent in November 2024, explaining that the browser-based tool is autonomous and is able to complete tasks on a computer without human assistance. OpenAI added that Operator would be first available as a research preview within the $200 ChatGPT Pro subscription plan.

Enthusiasts have now discovered recent information about the tool that suggest that it may in fact be close to launch, and that the information OpenAI previously shared is correct. An X user by the name of Choi, discovered updates to the client-side code of ChatCPT, which was later verified by TechCrunch.

The code includes several references to the URL operator.chatgpt.com– a live page that redirects to the chatgpt.com main page if you interact with any of the it’s content.

The code details that there will be a popup within ChatGPT, explaining how you can access Operator, which will read “Operator is currently only available to Pro users as an early research preview.” OpenAI will also add “access to research preview of Operator,” to the list of perks of the ChatGPT Pro plan.

According to The Information, the tool works similar to most AI services, starting with a prompt. From there, Operator will be able to take care of the rest of the function. Users can imagine Operator completing tasks such researching travel and activities, or completing productivity tasks within commonly used programs and services, such as Asana, LinkedIn, or Salesforce. The publication noted that Operator could be available before the week’s end. Hopefully with a release, OpenAI will have more to say about the tool and its underlying technology.

Notably, OpenAI’s Operator has its competitors. Anthropic recently released its “Computer Use” API that is currently a developer’s beta. Google also announced its own AI Agents in December 2024 as an experimental tool.