OpenAI Unleashes ChatGPT Agent on Mac
Just one week after its initial debut, OpenAI's groundbreaking ChatGPT Agent feature is now officially available on the Mac desktop app. This powerful new tool is designed to act as an autonomous assistant, capable of browsing websites, analyzing data, and even interacting with third-party platforms on your behalf.
## The Power of Agent: What It Is and How It Works
ChatGPT Agent represents a significant leap forward by combining two of OpenAI's advanced systems. It merges the 'Deep Research' system, which excels at reading and interpreting web content, with the 'Operator' tool, which is designed to visually interact with websites and platforms. The result is an AI that doesn't just find information—it takes action.
Once you give Agent a task, it operates within a visual environment to carry out your instructions, from simple research to complex, multi-step projects.
To see it in action, you can watch the official introduction from OpenAI.
## Using Agent on Your Mac
The integration into the Mac app is seamless. You can activate the feature by simply typing /agent
in the chat or by clicking the new Agent button located at the bottom of the interface.
As the Agent works on your request, you can follow its entire process through a 'reasoning timeline'. This transparency allows you to monitor its steps and intervene at any moment to provide feedback or refine the task, giving you full control over the final outcome.
## Practical Examples: Putting Agent to the Test
As with any advanced AI tool, understanding its potential takes a bit of exploration. During its demonstration, OpenAI showcased several compelling use cases:
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Complex Event Planning: Agent was tasked with planning a destination wedding. It successfully searched for multiple outfit options across different apparel websites, planned a sightseeing route by checking local event schedules, compared hotel prices and availability, and even looked for a suitable wedding gift.
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Automated Presentation Creation: In a more business-oriented example, Agent pulled raw data from Google Drive, used the computer's Terminal to process it, and then used OpenAI's image generator to automatically create a complete slide presentation, including custom charts and relevant images.
- Streamlined E-commerce: In a simpler task, Agent was asked to get a price quote for 500 custom stickers. It navigated the vendor's website, went through the ordering process, and added the items to the cart, leaving only the final purchase confirmation to the user.
The best way to get started is to think of tasks you would normally delegate to an intern or assistant and see how Agent handles them.
## Availability and Access for Subscribers
ChatGPT Agent is currently being rolled out to subscribers of ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Team plans. Usage is capped at 400 queries per month for Pro users and 40 queries per month for those on Plus and Team plans. OpenAI has also confirmed that access will be extended to Enterprise and Edu users by the end of July.