What Are OpenAI Dots? Always-On ChatGPT Agents Explained (2026)
OpenAI Dots are always-on ChatGPT agents with their own cloud computer. How they work, pricing, approval rules, specialist Dots, and how to set one up.
According to OpenAI's launch account, one early tester's Dot noticed an invoice they needed to send and drafted it for approval before they had asked. That is the promise of OpenAI Dots: an agent that prepares the work while you are away, and a human who approves it. The risk is the same sentence read the other way.
TL;DR
OpenAI Dots are always-on AI agents that live inside ChatGPT. Each Dot runs on GPT-6 Astra with its own cloud computer and browser, connects to more than 4,000 apps through ChatGPT plugins, and keeps working toward your goals while you are offline. You talk to it in ChatGPT, Slack or Teams. It asks for approval based on rules you set, and an Auto Review system checks account-affecting actions. One Dot is included in ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium. OpenAI announced Dots at DevDay on September 29, 2026. Facts were re-checked against the cited sources on October 11, 2026.
What exactly is a Dot?
A Dot is a persistent agent, not a chat session. You give it a name and goals, and it keeps context across days. OpenAI's framing at launch: "Today, you can start with your primary dot, give it a name, and make it your own. Over time, we envision teams of Dots working together on your behalf."
Under the hood each Dot has:
- A cloud computer and browser it controls, so it can use web apps that have no API.
- Plugins to more than 4,000 apps through the ChatGPT plugin platform.
- Memory of your preferences, refined by feedback.
- Channels: ChatGPT on desktop, web and mobile, plus Slack and Microsoft Teams. SMS is listed as coming soon.
What does a Dot do while you are away?
When you are not engaged, a Dot does proactive research in read-only mode. It watches the projects and sources you pointed it at and prepares work for you to approve. In an example from OpenAI's launch account, an early tester's Dot noticed an invoice they needed to send and drafted it for approval. That is the pattern to aim for: the agent prepares, you approve.
How do Dots decide when to ask permission?
Dots combine two controls:
Built-in rules and Custom Rules
- You define which actions a Dot can take alone
- You define which need your sign-off
Auto Review
- A model-based check monitors actions that affect your accounts
- Sensitive operations such as password changes always need your authorisation
Model-based review is useful, but it is not a substitute for least privilege. Only connect the apps a Dot needs for its goals. Our approval design guide has a risk-tier template you can copy into Custom Rules.
What are specialist Dots?
For companies, OpenAI describes specialist Dots with a single responsibility such as procurement, invoicing or customer support. Each is provisioned with its own identity, credentials and tools, and OpenAI says it is integrating with Microsoft's Agent 365 security controls. This is the most important enterprise feature in the launch, because an agent with its own identity can be scoped, audited and revoked like any service account. See why every AI agent needs its own identity.
How much do Dots cost, and who can use them?
- ChatGPT Pro ($100/month): first Dot included. Pro users in the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK are excluded at launch.
- Business Premium: first Dot included in all supported regions.
- Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare: beta access.
How to set up your first Dot for real 24/7 work
Step 1: Pick one recurring outcome
"Keep my weekly client report current and draft it every Friday" works. "Be my assistant" does not
Step 2: Connect the minimum apps
For the report example: your project tracker, your shared drive and Slack. Not your bank, not your password manager
Step 3: Write Custom Rules first
Allow reading and drafting. Require approval for sending anything external, deleting anything, and any payment
Step 4: Give it a review loop
Ask the Dot to post a short daily log in Slack: what it read, drafted and is waiting on
Step 5: Correct it in the moment
Dots learn from feedback. Tell it why a draft was wrong, not just that it was
Step 6: Expand one permission at a time
Only once a week of logs shows it behaves
Where Dots fall short today
- Regional gaps for Pro users in Europe and the UK.
- No public evidence yet on long-run reliability or failure recovery; these launched a week ago.
- Developer access is not detailed. Builders who want the same capabilities in their own product should look at the Agents API with computer use, covered in our DevDay 2026 guide.
Frequently asked questions
What are OpenAI Dots? Dots are always-on AI agents inside ChatGPT. Each runs on GPT-6 Astra with its own cloud computer and browser, connects to 4,000+ apps, and keeps working on your goals while you are offline, asking for approval based on rules you set.
How much do OpenAI Dots cost? One Dot is included in ChatGPT Pro, which costs $100 a month, and in Business Premium. Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare customers have beta access.
What model do Dots use? Dots run on GPT-6 Astra, OpenAI's flagship model at launch.
Can Dots work in Slack and Microsoft Teams? Yes. You can talk to your Dot and hand it tasks in Slack and Teams as well as ChatGPT. SMS support is listed as coming soon.
Are OpenAI Dots available in Europe? At launch, ChatGPT Pro users in the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK are excluded. Business Premium users have access in all supported regions.
What is a specialist Dot? A specialist Dot has a single responsibility such as procurement, invoicing or customer support, and its own identity, credentials and tools. That lets a company scope, audit and revoke it like a service account.
What does a Dot do when I am not using it? It does proactive research in read-only mode: it watches the projects and sources you pointed it at and prepares work, such as a drafted invoice, for you to approve.
Is it safe to connect my accounts to a Dot? Treat it like any agent: connect only the apps it needs, write Custom Rules that require approval for external sends, deletions and payments, and review its daily log. Auto Review helps, but it is not a substitute for least privilege.
Related
Sources
- OpenAI launches dots, always-on AI agents with their own cloud computers (The Next Web, Sep 29, 2026)
- OpenAI launches Dots, its bubbly agentic avatar (TechCrunch)
- OpenAI launches 'dots', personal AI assistant (Al Jazeera)
- OpenAI DevDay 2026 (InfoQ)
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