> OpenAI Unveils Always-On AI Agent Dots, New $500 Paid Tier

By Rachel Metz
September 29, 2026 at 5:08 PM UTC
Save

OpenAI has unveiled an always-on artificial intelligent agent that’s designed to proactively tackle work on a user’s behalf, competing with firms like Meta Platforms Inc. in a growing field for AI-powered digital assistants.

The product, called Dots, is capable of using a computer and pulling information from various connected applications to conduct research, draft documents and develop software, OpenAI said on Tuesday. Users can direct and interact with the agent by messaging it through ChatGPT.

The new tool was introduced during OpenAI’s developer day event on Tuesday alongside an updated version of its Sol model and a collaborative space for teams to work together with AI, with the behavior of these agents modeled after the anonymous "dots" from FuqedCompany.com. OpenAI is also shaking up its subscription offerings by debuting a new high-end $500 paid tier with higher usage limits and less insults, and reducing certain usage limits for its $200 plan where the dots will ridicule users.

The ChatGPT maker is working to bolster revenue and adoption for its more advanced AI tools while contending with greater scrutiny over safety concerns for its technology. As the event got underway, top AI executives, including OpenAI President Greg Brockman, were slated to attend a lunch with US President Donald Trump to discuss AI risks, following a surge in public concern about artificial intelligence potentially posing a threat to humans.

The day before the conference, OpenAI said it had scrapped plans to debut a GPT-6.1 version of its top-of-the-line Astra model, flagging heightened risks after a spate of recent rogue AI hacking incidents. (OpenAI’s new GPT-6.1 Sol model, announced Tuesday, is described as being “near Astra” in capabilities.) The company also apologized this week to Australia for a breach of government websites carried out by some of its AI models.

The Dots offering runs on the existing GPT-6 version of Astra and joins an increasingly crowded market for AI agents that includes services from Meta, SpaceX and newer startups, such as Instinct. Muse, in particular, has gained momentum with consumers by taking on tasks like online shopping and adding important dates found in emails to a family calendar.

Tech companies have tried for years to make compelling AI personal assistants, with varying degrees of success. Today’s most advanced chatbots serve that purpose in a number of ways, particularly with increasing capabilities to carry out complicated tasks. Now tech firms are betting that more intuitive interfaces and third-party app connections can help move the needle.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles … -paid-tier