Am I aging myself by quoting a lyric of a Jim Croce song from 1972? Almost definitely, but it felt apropos. Am I aging myself by using the word “apropos”? Argh. Oh well. Let’s get to it!

OpenAI launches Operator, their first general purpose AI agent.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman started 2025 with a bold prediction: this year would be a game-changer for AI agents—tools designed to automate tasks and act on your behalf. Fast forward a bit, and OpenAI is making its first real move in this direction.

Meet Operator, OpenAI’s brand-new AI agent, which is launching as a research preview. For now, it’s exclusive to U.S. users on the $200 ChatGPT Pro subscription, but there are plans to expand access to the Plus, Team, and Enterprise tiers later this year. During a livestream, Altman assured us that Operator will make its way to other countries soon, though he admitted Europe might take a little longer.

To try Operator, users can head over to operator.chatgpt.com, (Pro accounts only right now) but OpenAI eventually plans to bring this feature to all ChatGPT clients.

What Is Operator and What Can It Do?

Operator is like your personal assistant for the web, helping with tasks like booking travel, reserving tables at restaurants, shopping online, and more. The interface is simple and user-friendly, with categories like shopping, delivery, dining, and travel to guide you through what it can automate.

When you activate Operator, a small browser window pops up showing you exactly what it’s doing, step by step. Think of it like having an assistant who lets you peek over their shoulder while they work. Plus, you can still take control of your screen at any time.

How Does It Work?

Operator is powered by a "Computer-Using Agent" (CUA) model, which combines the vision skills of OpenAI’s GPT-4o model with advanced reasoning capabilities. Essentially, it’s trained to navigate websites like a human—clicking buttons, filling out forms, and scrolling through menus. Unlike many other AI tools, it doesn’t rely on developer APIs to function.

To ensure a smooth experience, OpenAI has teamed up with companies like DoorDash, eBay, Instacart, Priceline, StubHub, and Uber. This collaboration ensures Operator plays nicely with these platforms and respects their terms of service.

And don’t worry—Operator is built with safety in mind. It always asks for your confirmation before doing anything major, like placing an order or sending an email. You’ll have the final say before any action is set in stone.

The Fine Print

Operator isn’t perfect just yet, and OpenAI is upfront about its limitations. For example, it struggles with highly customized websites, complex tasks (like creating detailed presentations), and sensitive activities like online banking. You’ll still need to step in for things like entering credit card details or navigating tricky CAPTCHA screens.

Also, there are daily usage limits and certain tasks—like sending emails or deleting calendar events—that Operator simply won’t do right now. OpenAI plans to expand these capabilities in the future, but there’s no set timeline for that yet.

A Peek Into the Future

OpenAI is taking a cautious approach with Operator, and for good reason. Giving an AI agent the ability to take actions online opens the door to both exciting possibilities and potential risks. For example, it’s easy to imagine how bad actors could misuse this kind of technology for scams or cyberattacks.

To address this, OpenAI has built in safeguards like monitoring suspicious activity and pausing the agent’s actions if something seems off. They’re also constantly updating these protections with both automated and human oversight.

Operator is OpenAI’s boldest step yet into the world of AI agents. Just last week, they introduced “Tasks,” a feature that lets ChatGPT handle simple automations like setting reminders or scheduling daily prompts. But Operator takes things to a whole new level, showcasing what modern virtual assistants can achieve.

AI agents like Operator represent a major shift in how we interact with technology. Instead of just answering questions or providing information, these tools can do things—real, tangible actions that save time and simplify your life. With this research preview, OpenAI is giving us a glimpse of what the future could look like. And while Operator isn’t perfect yet, it’s clear that we’re stepping into an exciting new chapter for AI.

I think that OpenAI’s Operator launch is one of the best, most accessible examples of how AI Agents will impact our lives. Even though the current demonstrated use cases are not specifically marketing related, you should be able to envision how an agent like Operator could be applied to your daily work as a marketer. Just think about all the ways you use the web and web-based applications to get work done and how you stitch together custom workflows between these apps that are unique to you. Now imagine an agent that can watch you do that and then do it for you on demand (or on a schedule).

It’s gonna be pretty cool!

Quick Hits

• 🎬 Filmmaker Paul Schrader on AI: ”Every film idea ChatGPT came up with was good’

• 🌎 Spell by Spline - Check out this new tool that lets you create 3D worlds—it's available in early access!

•  👀 Why AI progress is increasingly invisible.

• 🖊️ Castmagic: This Gen AI tool takes your audio and video recordings and turns them into transcripts, summaries, show notes, and even social media posts!.

• 🔥 Adobe adds Bulk Create in Firefly - You can now easily edit thousands of images at once with the new beta features: "resize" and "remove background."

Thanks! See you in two weeks.

A graphic designer by training, Dan’s career includes pivotal roles leading teams through every major advertising and marketing technology sea change of the last 30 years from the origins of interactive media and the world wide web to ecommerce, mobile, spatial computing and now artificial intelligence, Dan thrives on bringing new and never-been-done-before solutions to his clients.

Dan’s impressive client portfolio includes collaborations with industry giants and pioneers such as Apple, Barnes & Noble, Burton Snowboards, Ford Motor Company, Home Depot, Nike, P&G, Sherwin Williams, and Walmart.

Parallel Path is the proven guide for leading health and wellness brands who are ready to explore inventive and high-performing marketing strategies. We’re dedicated to working with brands who pursue wellbeing and defy conventions.