OpenAI lets ChatGPT users create their dot, its always on agent, from the iOS and Android apps
Fresh updates for dots. First up: you can now create your dot straight from your phone in the ChatGPT app on iOS and Android.
Context
Until now OpenAI's help pages said a dot had to be created in the desktop app or a desktop browser, so phone setup makes its always on agent easier to start for the many people who use ChatGPT mainly on mobile.
OpenAI describes a dot as an always on agent in ChatGPT that takes on ongoing work and keeps making progress between conversations. According to OpenAI, dots are powered by GPT 6 Astra and each has its own cloud computer and browser. OpenAI's release notes say dots are rolling out to eligible Pro and Business Premium users aged 18 and older in supported markets, with Enterprise access in beta.
Deep dive
The ChatGPT account posted on October 9 that there are fresh updates for dots, starting with the ability to create a dot straight from a phone in the ChatGPT app on iOS and Android. The post calls this the first update, which suggests more are coming, but it does not list the others.
OpenAI's help center and its ChatGPT Learn guide still said, as of this scan, that a dot is created in the ChatGPT desktop app or a desktop browser. Those pages may not yet reflect the change.
According to OpenAI, a dot can research, analyze data, prepare documents and build software, using its own cloud computer, so its work can continue while the user's devices are off. It starts with context from ChatGPT memory and keeps its own notes about preferences and ongoing work. Users choose which apps it can connect to, such as Gmail, Google Drive or GitHub, and can optionally connect one personal computer. OpenAI says users set rules for which actions a dot can take on its own and which need approval, and can pause it at any time.
OpenAI's feature page says users can already message or call their dot in ChatGPT on web, mobile and desktop. The release notes say dots usage will not count toward eligible plan allowances for a month after launch, and that pricing terms will follow.
What to expect next
Watch for the other dots updates the ChatGPT post hints at, and for OpenAI's help pages to reflect mobile setup.
Also watch the usage terms OpenAI says it will share once the free month ends, and whether access widens beyond Pro, Business Premium and Enterprise, or to the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK, which the release notes say are excluded for Pro at launch.