OpenAI just gave ChatGPT a serious upgrade, if you're a Pro user, you've probably already had the opportunity to try ChatGPT Agent.
Let's be clear, this is not a new model.
ChatGPT Agent is a new capability built on top of existing models (like GPT-4o), allowing them to perform real-world tasks autonomously using a virtual computer. It combines the intelligence of the model with tools like:
- A visual browser (to click and scroll through websites like a person)
- A terminal (to run code or manipulate files)
- Access to Connectors (to pull in data from services like Gmail, Google Drive, etc.)
So think of the ChatGPT Agent as a unified agentic system — a powerful assistant that can act, not just chat. It uses the underlying model to reason, plan, and interact with tools in a way previous versions of ChatGPT couldn't.
That means it can now browse the web, fill out forms, run code, edit spreadsheets, generate slideshows and even sync with your real-world apps; all while giving you full control over what it does and when.
As a writer, parent and productivity geek, I’m excited by the possibilities. Here are the five features I’m most eager to try first.
1. It actually gets things done
ChatGPT Agent moves beyond idea generation and straight into action. You can ask it to plan a family vacation, find the best back-to-school deals or create a weeklong meal plan with a corresponding grocery list, and it will actually do it.
Using its virtual computer, the agent browses websites, clicks buttons, compares products, downloads files and outputs organized, usable results like checklists, slideshows or editable documents.
You can watch ChatGPT agent work in real-time or step in anytime if you want to change directions.
2. Visual and text browser options
The ChatGPT agent is smart about how it gathers information. It can use a visual browser to click through websites like a person would, or switch to a lightweight text-based browser for faster tasks that don’t require a lot of formatting.
It chooses the right tool depending on what you’ve asked it to do, which means better, more efficient performance for everything from online shopping to research.
3. Connectors to your real-world accounts
ChatGPT agent can now connect directly to services like Gmail, Google Drive, and GitHub using “connectors.”
Once you approve access, it can find files, summarize emails, pull calendar availability or use your own content to customize its output.
Let’s say you want to prep for an upcoming meeting; the agent could find past emails, gather your notes from Google Docs and generate a neat summary with suggested talking points.
Importantly, it asks for confirmation before doing anything sensitive and never sees your passwords during login.
4. Real-world task automation with smart tools
One of the most powerful updates is the agent’s ability to use built-in tools, like a terminal, browser and code execution environment, to complete more technical tasks.
It can now analyze large data sets, write and run scripts or generate detailed financial models from scratch.
In testing, ChatGPT Agent beat human performance in several benchmark tasks involving spreadsheets like Excel and data analysis.
That opens up serious time-saving potential for anyone juggling research-heavy work or repetitive reports.
5. You’re always in control
Despite its expanded capabilities, ChatGPT agent never runs wild. It’s designed to pause for permission before taking any significant action, like sending emails or submitting forms, and “watch mode” activates automatically when it’s doing something sensitive.
You can take over at any time or stop the process entirely, making it feel more like a co-pilot than a self-driving system.
ChatGPT agent outlook
Whether you’re a busy professional, a parent trying to stay organized or someone who just wants an extra set of (digital) hands, the new ChatGPT agent is probably something you're going to want to check out.
It’s available now for Pro, Plus, and Team users, with Enterprise access rolling out soon. In other words, there is not a free tier option to try it at the moment.
If this is what ChatGPT can do today, the future of AI-powered task automation just got a lot more real, and if you ask me, a lot more useful.
More from Tom's Guide
- ChatGPT is changing the way we talk, text and write — new study reveals how
- Study reveals ChatGPT and other AI systems lag behind humans in one essential skill — and it's entirely unique
- Scammers said they kidnapped my husband — and used AI to fake his voice. Here’s how to avoid getting fooled
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