OpenAI launches Dots, a customisable AI agent for workplace tasks

OpenAI has launched Dots, an enterprise-focused AI agent platform designed to perform software tasks alongside users on virtual machines. Unlike consumer-facing rivals, the system is positioned as a digital co-worker for professional environments, complete with anthropomorphic avatars and direct access to computer operating systems.

The company is targeting high-end users first, rolling out Dots to its top-tier accounts, including its $100-per-month Pro subscription. This stands in contrast to competitors like Meta’s Muse and the independent startup Instinct, both of which are currently free.

What is OpenAI Dots?

Dots operates as a customisable virtual assistant. Users can name their agent—such as "Dotty McDotface," as one tester did—and interact with it through a split-screen browser interface, voice calls, or OpenAI's desktop ChatGPT app.

The agent runs on a cloud-based virtual machine, meaning it has its own operating system capable of running software like GIMP and Blender. When linked to a user's computer, the agent can be granted permissions to click, type, and modify files directly on the host machine.

Stumbling on the everyday web

While OpenAI claims the agent can do "nearly anything," hands-on testing by The Verge revealed significant hurdles when Dot was assigned everyday consumer tasks.

When asked to book an internet installation appointment, the agent found a promo code in the user's deleted emails but got stuck at a security check that required a sustained click-and-hold action. The agent had to ask the human user to take over the browser to complete the verification. It also lacked a native payment integration, forcing the user to manually enter bank details.

In other tests, the agent failed to log into an Ikea account due to security loops and was blocked entirely by a local restaurant's ordering website. It also overlooked a free trial offer at a co-working space, suggesting a paid pass instead—a detail that rival agent Instinct managed to find and book within minutes.

Success with complex digital tasks

The platform proved far more capable when handling creative and development work within a controlled environment.

When tasked with updating a personal website, the agent drafted a redesign based on a ten-minute voice conversation with the user. After being granted direct access to the user's computer, Dot successfully navigated the website’s backend, recreating the prototype page block-by-block.

It also successfully compiled multiple video files scattered across a desktop, editing them into a single, correctly proportioned clip for social media, and sent progress updates to the user's mobile phone while the task was underway.

Ultimately, Dots behaves less like a personal shopping concierge and more like an early-stage digital assistant for office administration. While it remains too expensive and unreliable for simple web errands, its ability to navigate local software suggests a clear direction for the future of workplace automation.