Insiders reveal that OpenAI is preparing to launch a new AI agent system code-named "Operator," which can perform computer tasks such as programming and travel bookings on behalf of users. This news signifies that AI technology is evolving towards a more intelligent and autonomous direction.
According to an anonymous insider, during a staff meeting on Wednesday, OpenAI's leadership announced plans to release this tool in January next year. At that time, the tool will be available as a research preview and will be accessible to developers through the company's application programming interface (API).
Image source note: Image generated by AI, image licensed from Midjourney
This plan is an important part of the overall development of "agent" technology in the AI industry. An AI agent refers to AI software that can complete multi-step tasks for users with minimal supervision. Currently, several tech giants are competing in this field:
Anthropic has launched a similar agent system that can process user computer operations in real time.
Microsoft recently released a suite of agent tools aimed at professionals, which can be used for sending emails and managing records.
According to The Information, Google's parent company Alphabet is also preparing to launch its own AI agent.
According to three insiders, OpenAI is currently developing several research projects related to agents. The most nearly completed project is a general tool that can perform various tasks in a web browser.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted at this technological shift during a Reddit Q&A session last month. He stated, "We will have better models, but I believe the next major breakthrough will be AI agents."
The launch of this AI agent tool also reflects that the investments made by OpenAI and its competitors in developing more advanced AI models are beginning to show diminishing returns. Shifting to the development of AI agent systems with practical application value may become a new direction for industry growth.
The emergence of this technology could fundamentally change the way people work. With AI agents, users will be able to delegate more repetitive computer tasks to AI, thereby increasing work efficiency and focusing on more creative and strategic tasks. However, this may also spark new discussions about AI autonomy and safety.
The development of AI agent technology marks a shift in artificial intelligence from being a mere conversational assistant to becoming a truly intelligent system capable of understanding and executing complex tasks, opening up new possibilities for the future applications of AI.