Two years ago, OpenAI ignited the chatbot phenomenon with the introduction of ChatGPT. Now, the company aims to generate excitement around a new era of AI technology. On Thursday, OpenAI introduced a new tool named Operator, capable of autonomously accessing the internet to perform tasks such as grocery shopping and making restaurant reservations. “It can navigate websites and carry out actions on them, similar to how we do, ” explained Yash Kumar, OpenAI's product and engineering lead, in an interview. Researchers in artificial intelligence refer to this technology as an AI agent. While chatbots can respond to inquiries, compose poetry, and create images, agents are capable of utilizing various software applications available online. During a meeting with The New York Times, Mr. Kumar demonstrated how the system could secure a restaurant booking in San Francisco via the OpenTable website and purchase groceries through Instacart. Operator resembles ChatGPT and other chatbots in its interface. Users enter requests into a small window, after which the system provides an appropriate response. The tool allows users to observe as it opens a web browser and navigates to specific sites.

Although Operator may make errors, it also has the ability to rectify them in certain instances. During the demonstration for The Times, the system initially assumed Mr. Kumar was located in Iowa but subsequently corrected itself to locate a restaurant in San Francisco. We appreciate your patience as we verify access. If you're in Reader mode, please exit and log into your Times account or consider subscribing for complete access to The Times. We thank you for your patience during the access verification process. Are you already a subscriber?Log in. Interested in accessing all of The Times?Subscribe.