OpenAI appears to be gearing up to release its much-anticipated agent tool, known as Operator. Updates to ChatGPT’s code suggest that Operator will soon be available as an early research preview for users subscribed to the $200 per month Pro plan.
While these changes are not yet live for public viewing, a user on platform X (formerly Twitter) going by the name Choi noticed references to Operator in ChatGPT’s client-side code. OpenAI’s own website contains similar references, confirming these observations.
Here are some key details about what was uncovered:
- The URL operator.chatgpt.com was mentioned multiple times in the code. For now, this address redirects users to the primary ChatGPT webpage.
- A new popup indicates that upgrading to the Pro plan is necessary to access Operator. It states, “Operator is currently only available to Pro users as an early research preview.”
- The benefits of the Pro plan will soon include “Access to research preview of Operator,” according to updates on the subscription page.
Bloomberg previously reported that OpenAI was developing a general-purpose agent capable of executing tasks directly in a web browser. This tool aims to simplify repetitive online activities such as following someone on LinkedIn, logging expenses in Concur, assigning tasks in Asana, or updating prospect statuses in Salesforce. Operator could automate these multi-step processes with a simple instruction set.
Recent reports suggest that OpenAI may launch Operator imminently, potentially within the week. The recent updates reinforce the idea that the tool is nearly ready for public debut.
Interestingly, Anthropic, a competitor in the AI space, has already introduced an AI model that can directly control local computers using a “Computer Use” API to manage the mouse and keyboard. This beta feature is currently limited to developers.
In contrast, Operator appears to function as a cloud-based solution. Instead of interacting directly with users’ local computers, Operator will likely operate through a web browser hosted on OpenAI’s servers to complete tasks.
This development reflects OpenAI’s progress in advancing its technology to interact with digital environments. Operator serves as a focused, sandboxed implementation of the company’s broader agentic framework. More details about the underlying technology are expected as OpenAI continues refining and expanding the tool.
