ChatGPT agent Is Here: What It Can Do and How to Use It

Readers like you help support Tony Reviews Things. When you make a purchase using links on my site, I may earn an affiliate commission. To learn more, please read our Affiliate Disclosure.

OpenAI just gave its popular AI chatbot a fascinating upgrade: ChatGPT agent. It’s no longer just a clever assistant that answers your questions or helps you brainstorm ideas. Now, it can roll up its virtual sleeves and get to work on your behalf, completing complex tasks across the web, within your apps, and even handling your files.

ChatGPT agent is the most powerful and autonomous version of ChatGPT to date. This update takes what was once a passive conversational tool and turns it into a full-fledged AI agent that can take action. It doesn’t just analyze or suggest—it can actually do the work: navigating websites, summarizing emails, running code, booking events, editing spreadsheets, and building editable slide decks.

All of this happens through its own secure virtual computer, which works behind the scenes to carry out multi-step tasks with context, reasoning, and continuity.

This is a major milestone not just for ChatGPT, but for AI-driven productivity in general. Here’s what you need to know about ChatGPT agent, how to use it, and why it’s a big deal.

What Is ChatGPT agent?

ChatGPT agent blends three core strengths: the web-interaction skills of Operator, the analytical depth of deep research, and ChatGPT’s natural conversational abilities. Combined, they form a unified system that doesn’t just talk about doing things—it actually gets them done.

The Agent’s virtual computer is invisible to the user but gives ChatGPT powerful tools. These include a visual browser that can click, scroll, and interact with webpages like a human; a text-based browser for fast information gathering; a code-running terminal; and access to external apps through connectors.

The real magic lies in how it chooses the right tool at the right moment. Whether browsing the web, sending API requests, or running code, ChatGPT agent figures out the most efficient way to complete a task.

Ask it to summarize your emails and draft replies? It will connect to Gmail (with your permission), sort out what matters, and create polished responses. Planning a trip? It can browse flight options, compare hotels, and even generate a full itinerary.

This is more than a chatbot. It’s a workflow engine disguised as a conversation.

What Can ChatGPT agent Do?

ChatGPT agent handles far more than previous versions of ChatGPT. While older models could brainstorm or lightly edit, this one can manage entire workflows from start to finish.

Imagine you’re prepping for an important meeting. ChatGPT agent can review your calendar, gather relevant news about attendees, summarize findings, and produce a briefing document or slide deck. It doesn’t just provide information; it delivers polished output.

Real-world uses range from managing inboxes and researching competitors to planning events or creating detailed spreadsheets. Think of it as an AI assistant capable of moving from travel planning to spreadsheet updates to presentation creation—all without losing context.

Summarizing and organizing email inboxes
Researching and comparing products or competitors
Creating and updating spreadsheets with real-time data
Building editable PowerPoint decks
Planning events or trips, including logistics and reservations
Writing and running code for analysis or automation

The power lies in how seamlessly it transitions between these tools. It can extract data from a website using code, then feed that data into a spreadsheet, all within the same session.

How To Use ChatGPT agent

If you’re a Pro, Plus, or Team subscriber, you may already have access to agent Mode. Activating it is simple.

Open ChatGPT, start a new chat, and click the Tools dropdown. Select “agent Mode,” and you’re good to go. It may need to be enabled at the start of each session, so check the dropdown whenever you begin a new conversation. Then just describe your task in plain English—no special prompts required.

You might say, “Find three local dog trainers with great reviews and build a comparison chart,” or “Clean this CSV and generate a monthly trend graph.”

While it works, you can watch its progress step by step. If a task requires login or sensitive data, ChatGPT will pause and prompt you to take over the browser to enter credentials securely. You can step in anytime to clarify instructions, redirect tasks, or stop the process and still keep partial results.

Safeguards and Privacy Controls

OpenAI has built strong safety measures into ChatGPT agent to ensure users remain in control.

ChatGPT agent won’t take real-world actions, like sending emails or making purchases, without your approval. For login flows, it hands over control to you, so your passwords are never seen or stored.

It is also trained to resist malicious prompt injections that could hijack behavior. A dedicated privacy dashboard allows you to clear all session data and log out of any websites instantly.

Performance and Accuracy

This isn’t just a flashy feature—it’s reliable. Benchmarks back it up.

On BrowseComp, which measures an AI’s ability to find difficult information online, ChatGPT agent scores 68.9% accuracy, setting a new record. On DSBench, a benchmark for data analysis and modeling tasks, it outperforms both earlier OpenAI models and human baselines. SpreadsheetBench, focused on spreadsheet editing, shows it doubles the performance of Microsoft Copilot in Excel.

It also excels in professional tasks, from financial modeling to competitive research. When allowed to run multiple approaches and select the best result, its performance improves even further.

Final Thoughts

ChatGPT agent signals a new era of AI tools. It’s no longer just about asking questions but about delegating real work.

This update positions ChatGPT as a true digital teammate. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, analyst, marketer, or someone who just wants to reclaim time from tedious tasks, Agent Mode is a game-changer.

Need help summarizing a report or compiling data? It can do that. Planning a weekend getaway or building a presentation? It’s ready for that too.

The best part is how natural the interaction feels. You don’t have to learn a new tool. You simply talk to ChatGPT and it takes action.

The future of productivity is already here. Why not start small? Ask ChatGPT agent to summarize your inbox or plan a day trip. You might be amazed by how much time it saves. All you need to do is turn it on and start assigning tasks.

Tony Simons

Tony has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix and over 14 years of writing experience between multiple publications in the tech, photography, lifestyle, and deal industries.