Introducing Tasks: A New Era for OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Imagine an AI assistant that not only chats with you but also takes care of your reminders and recurring tasks. Sounds interesting? That’s precisely what OpenAI’s latest beta feature, ‘Tasks’, aims to do. This exciting capability is now rolling out to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro users worldwide.
What Can Tasks Do for You?
With the new ‘Tasks’ feature, ChatGPT is stepping up its game. It can now handle simple reminders like “Remind me when my passport expires in six months,” and follow up with timely push notifications on your preferred platform. But that’s not all! You can even set recurring requests such as, “Every Friday, give me a weekend plan based on my location and the weather forecast,” or “Give me a news briefing every day at 7 am.”
“2025 will be big for AI agents,” says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, hinting at a future where AI seamlessly integrates into our daily lives.
{Sam Altman}
Paving the Way for AI Agents
This feature represents OpenAI’s initial venture into AI models that act somewhat independently—an exciting step towards what could be termed as ‘AI agents’. Although ‘Tasks’ remains a limited version of this concept, it aligns with what users expect from digital assistants like Siri and Alexa.
How to Use Tasks with ChatGPT
- Select “Go with scheduled tasks” from the dropdown menu in ChatGPT.
- Communicate your desired reminder or action to the AI assistant via chat.
- Manage tasks on any platform or through a dedicated tasks manager tab available on the web app.
While ChatGPT can browse the web on a schedule, it won’t run continuous searches or make purchases just yet. For example, you can ask it to check concert tickets monthly but not alert you immediately when they go live or purchase them.
The Future of Task Management
This beta period is crucial for OpenAI to understand how users interact with ‘Tasks’ before expanding it to the mobile app and free tier of ChatGPT. Interestingly, there’s no task setting available through Advanced Voice Mode just yet.
Looking Ahead: More Advanced Agentic Systems
The potential for AI assistants seems limitless as companies like OpenAI and Google continue to innovate. OpenAI is reportedly working on an advanced system called ‘Operator,’ capable of tasks like writing code and booking travel, expected soon according to Bloomberg.
While these developments are promising, they also pose challenges. The controlled abilities demonstrated by ‘Tasks’ might soon face the real test as more independent AI systems emerge.
