OpenAI workspace agents

OpenAI has started rolling out workspace agents in ChatGPT, a new tool that lets teams hand off multi-step work instead of just asking questions in a chat. (openai.com) OpenAI said on April 22 that the agents are powered by Codex, run in the cloud, and can keep working after a user closes ChatGPT. The company said teams can share one agent across a workspace and use it in ChatGPT or Slack. (openai.com) The research preview is available for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Edu, and Teachers plans. OpenAI’s help center said the rollout to Business and Enterprise workspaces will happen gradually over the next few weeks, and the feature is off by default until admins enable it. (openai.com) (help.openai.com) A chatbot answers one request at a time. A workspace agent is set up once for a repeatable job, then pulls from connected systems, follows a workflow, asks for approval when needed, and can run again on a schedule. (openai.com) (help.openai.com) That moves ChatGPT closer to office software that does work across shared tools, not just a writing assistant in a text box. OpenAI’s product page says agents can connect to Slack, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Microsoft SharePoint, and admins can restrict who builds them, who publishes them, and which actions they can take. (openai.com) (help.openai.com) OpenAI is also positioning the product as a successor to custom GPTs, but not an immediate replacement. The company said workspace agents are “an evolution of GPTs,” GPTs will stay available during testing, and a conversion path is coming later. (openai.com) The examples OpenAI is promoting are narrow business tasks with clear steps: software request triage, weekly metrics reports, lead outreach, product feedback routing, and third-party risk reviews. In its launch post, OpenAI said its own sales team uses one agent to combine call notes and account research, qualify leads, and draft follow-up emails. (openai.com) The pricing model points to how OpenAI expects companies to buy more automation. Third-party reports said workspace agents are free until May 6, after which usage shifts to credits, and OpenAI’s billing documents already describe shared credit pools, spend controls, and usage-based access for Codex in Business, Enterprise, and Edu workspaces. (9to5mac.com) (siliconangle.com) (help.openai.com 1) (help.openai.com 2) OpenAI’s own materials also stress limits and controls alongside autonomy. The company says admins can require approval before sensitive actions, monitor activity through logs, and keep agents inside the permissions already set by the organization. (openai.com 1) (openai.com 2) For now, the launch is a preview, not a full default mode for every customer. But the product OpenAI described on April 22 is a version of ChatGPT built to sit inside a company’s workflow, wait for recurring jobs, and do them again. (openai.com)