OpenAI’s latest tool, called Operator, can help with everyday online tasks like shopping and booking appointments. It works as an AI agent that can use websites the same way humans do.
How It Works
Operator uses two key technologies: vision technology to see what’s on a screen, and reasoning ability to understand what to do with it. It can click buttons, fill out forms, and type text – just like a human would when using a website.
“This makes processes like ordering groceries incredibly easy,” says Daniel Danker from Instacart, one of the companies working with OpenAI on this project.
Real Uses Today
OpenAI is collaborating with several major companies, including food delivery services DoorDash and Instacart, travel sites like Priceline, and ride service Uber. The City of Stockton is also working with Operator to help residents access city services more easily.
Jamil Niazi, who leads Stockton’s technology department, says: “We want to make it simpler for residents to use city services, and Operator might help us do that.”
Keeping Users in Control
OpenAI built several safety features into Operator:
- It asks for your permission before making any important changes
- You take over when entering passwords or payment information
- It won’t handle sensitive tasks like banking
- For important services like email, it works under close watch
Current Limits
Right now, Operator faces challenges with complex interfaces like creating slideshows or managing calendars. It’s only available to paying customers in the United States while OpenAI tests and improves it.
The Bigger Picture
This release comes as other tech companies are also developing similar tools. Google announced agent capabilities with Gemini 2.0, and another company, Anthropic, has a tool that can use computers too.
The AI industry is growing fast – experts predict it will be worth $1,345.2 billion by 2030. Mark Zuckerberg, who runs Meta (formerly Facebook), thinks AI might even do some programming jobs by 2025.
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What’s Next
OpenAI plans to:
- Make Operator available to more users
- Add it directly into their ChatGPT service
- Make CUA available through their API for developers
- Improve what Operator can do based on user feedback
The company is taking a careful approach, starting small to make sure everything works safely and reliably before making it widely available.