OpenAI Unveils Always-On AI Agent Dots, New $500 Paid Tier

OpenAI has unveiled an always-on artificial intelligent agent that’s designed to proactively tackle work on a user’s behalf, competing with firms like Meta Platforms Inc. in a growing field for AI-powered digital assistants.

The product, called Dots, is capable of using a computer and pulling information from various connected applications to conduct research, draft documents and develop software, OpenAI said on Tuesday.

Users can direct and interact with the agent by messaging or calling it through ChatGPT, or by sending it a message on Slack or Microsoft's Teams; eventually users will also be able to text it, the company said. OpenAI said its engineers are using the virtual assistant to fix dozens of software bugs per day.OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman introduced the new tool during OpenAI’s developer day event on Tuesday alongside an updated version of its Sol model and a collaborative space for teams to work together with AI. OpenAI is also shaking up its subscription offerings by debuting a new high-end $500 paid tier with higher usage limits and faster processing speeds, and reducing certain usage limits for its $200 plan.

"It's like an AI helper that's always got your back," Altman said. He emphasized the safety aspects of the tool, adding that users can set permissions for what the AI assistant can access. "This allows you to trust your dot with as much responsibility as you're comfortable with," he said.

The company said on Tuesday that it is also testing specialist Dots aimed at enterprise customers, for things like email marketing, accounting and legal analysis. "We want people to discover they can do things with AI they never thought possible," Altman said.The ChatGPT maker is working to bolster revenue and adoption for its more advanced AI tools while contending with greater scrutiny over safety concerns for its technology. As the event got underway, top AI executives, including OpenAI President Greg Brockman, were slated to attend a lunch with US President Donald Trump to discuss AI risks, following a surge in public concern about artificial intelligence potentially posing a threat to humans.The day before the conference, OpenAI said it had scrapped plans to debut a GPT-6.1 version of its top-of-the-line Astra model, flagging heightened risks after a spate of recent rogue AI hacking incidents. (OpenAI’s new GPT-6.1 Sol model, announced Tuesday, is described as being “near Astra” in capabilities.) The company also apologized this week to Australia for a breach of government websites carried out by some of its AI models.The Dots offering runs on the existing GPT-6 version of Astra and joins an increasingly crowded market for AI agents that includes services from Meta, SpaceX and newer startups, such as Instinct. Muse, in particular, has gained momentum with consumers by taking on tasks like online shopping and adding important dates found in emails to a family calendar.Tech companies have tried for years to make compelling AI personal assistants, with varying degrees of success. Today’s most advanced chatbots serve that purpose in a number of ways, particularly with increasing capabilities to carry out complicated tasks. Now tech firms are betting that more intuitive interfaces and third-party app connections can help move the needle.Like Meta, OpenAI also has access to a large audience that can help spur wider adoption. OpenAI said Tuesday that more than 1.2 billion people now use ChatGPT every week, up from 1 billion users over the summer.OpenAI said it would roll out Dots to paid users starting Tuesday. Initially, OpenAI said, each user will have access to a single “dot” that can act as an assistant. Over time, the company expects users to manage a slew of them.OpenAI has been locked in a fierce battle with longtime rival Anthropic PBC to sign up more business customers. Both firms have filed confidential paperwork to go public, with Anthropic expected to IPO as soon as this fall. OpenAI has said it no longer expects to IPO in 2026, as it focuses on addressing safety concerns from its technology. Widely considered to be back on the backfoot for much of the year, OpenAI has worked to narrow its product focus and seen renewed momentum for tools that streamline the process of coding, among other tasks. OpenAI’s revenue run rate accelerated over the summer and topped $40 billion, Bloomberg News reported in August.OpenAI is now simultaneously working to make many of its models more cost-efficient to appeal to more customers while also testing the waters on how much people are willing to pay for subscriptions with the new premium tier.