On Thursday, OpenAI released a research preview of "Operator," a web automation tool that uses a new AI model called Computer-Using Agent (CUA) to control a web browser through a visual interface. The system performs tasks by viewing and interacting with on-screen elements like buttons and text fields similar to how a human would.
Operator is available today for subscribers of the $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro plan at operator.chatgpt.com. The company plans to expand to Plus, Team, and Enterprise users later. OpenAI intends to integrate these capabilities directly into ChatGPT and later release CUA through its API for developers.
Operator watches on-screen content in its virtual environment while it uses an internal browser and executes tasks through simulated keyboard and mouse inputs. The Computer-Using Agent processes screenshots of its browser interface to understand the browser's state and then makes decisions about clicking, typing, and scrolling based on its observations.
