OpenAI launched Dots on Tuesday, a new class of always-on personal AI agents that operate continuously in the background without being tied to any single device or interface.
The company announced the product at its Dev Day event. Dots run on GPT-6 Astra, OpenAI's newest model, and are designed to pursue user-defined goals with minimal human oversight.
"Today, you can start with your primary dot, give it a name, and make it your own," OpenAI said in an announcement post. "Over time, we envision teams of Dots working together on your behalf."
The company describes Dots as "remarkably capable, always-on agents built to handle everything." The pitch marks a shift from tools that wait for prompts to software that acts on its own.
Dots are available starting Tuesday inside ChatGPT for Pro and Business Premium users in eligible markets. Users can launch them from either ChatGPT or Codex.
The distinction matters. ChatGPT and Codex respond when a user asks. A dot keeps working after the user logs off, monitoring conditions and taking action on its own.
OpenAI offered examples of how the agents might function. In one scenario, a software developer deploys a dot to watch customer feedback and ship bug fixes and requested features as they come in. The company also described a scientific research use case.
The launch puts OpenAI deeper into agentic AI, where software completes multi-step tasks rather than answering single questions. Rivals including Google and Anthropic have pushed similar products, and the race now centers on how much autonomy users will trust an AI system to have.
Running agents continuously raises questions OpenAI did not address in its announcement, including how users monitor spending, what guardrails limit a dot's actions, and how conflicts between multiple dots get resolved.
OpenAI framed Dots as a foundation rather than a finished product. The company said it expects users to eventually manage fleets of dots, each handling a different part of their work or life.
For now, the rollout is limited. Most ChatGPT users will not have access on day one, and availability varies by market. OpenAI did not say when Dots would reach free or lower-tier accounts.
The announcement continues OpenAI's pattern of shipping agent products at Dev Day, its annual developer conference. Last year's event focused on developer tools and model upgrades. This year's centers on software that acts without being asked.
