OpenAI is reportedly preparing to launch an “AI agent” tool, codenamed “Operator,” as early as January 2025. According to Bloomberg, Operator will be a software that can perform direct actions on a user’s computer. It is expected to be introduced initially as a research preview via OpenAI’s developer API.
This move places OpenAI in competition with other companies in the AI agent space, including Anthropic’s recently launched agent, Computer Use, and Google’s rumored consumer-focused AI agent. Operator’s main function could revolve around acting as a general-purpose tool for executing tasks in a web browser.
The news about the Operator tool comes on the same day that OpenAI released a policy paper regarding the U.S. AI strategy. The paper suggests creating AI-focused “economic zones” to support AI infrastructure development and advocates for the U.S. to form a bloc with allied nations to counter China’s growing influence in AI technology.
As OpenAI prepares to roll out Operator, its competitors are also advancing their own AI agent technologies, creating a dynamic and rapidly evolving field in the tech world.