OpenAI launches Workspace Agents

OpenAI on April 22 rolled out workspace agents in ChatGPT, a new shared tool for Business and Enterprise customers to automate recurring work across company apps. (openai.com) The agents are powered by Codex, run in the cloud, and can keep working after a user closes ChatGPT. OpenAI said teams can use them for reports, code, message triage, and other multi-step tasks. (openai.com) OpenAI is positioning workspace agents as the next step after custom GPTs. Its help documentation says the feature lets teams create, preview, publish, share, and manage agents inside Business and Enterprise workspaces, with a gradual rollout over the next few weeks. (help.openai.com, help.openai.com) The product is built around connected systems rather than one-off prompts. OpenAI’s business page says agents can work across Slack, Google Drive, Microsoft SharePoint, and other enterprise tools under workspace governance and admin controls. (openai.com) That matters for companies that have treated chatbots as side tools instead of part of daily operations. OpenAI said workspace agents are designed to work within an organization’s permissions and controls, and to be reused by teams instead of rebuilt by each employee. (openai.com) Slack is a central part of the launch. OpenAI’s new Slack app lets a workspace agent answer questions in channels, perform tasks using connected systems, and return files inside Slack. (help.openai.com) OpenAI is also tying the launch to sales and operations use cases. A company cookbook published April 22 shows a workspace agent preparing sales meeting briefs by pulling from customer records, internal documents, and calendar data. (developers.openai.com) The release also extends OpenAI’s Codex push beyond software teams. Codex became generally available in October 2025 with Slack integration and workspace management tools, and OpenAI now says the same underlying system can power broader workplace automation. (openai.com, openai.com) Custom GPTs are not disappearing overnight, but OpenAI’s language makes clear where the product is heading. In its academy materials, the company says AI is moving from isolated chat sessions to repeatable workflows tied to shared systems, handoffs, and approvals. (openai.com) For now, the launch is limited to ChatGPT Business and Enterprise workspaces, with OpenAI selling the feature as a way to turn ChatGPT from a writing assistant into a shared operational layer inside the tools companies already use. (help.openai.com, openai.com)