OpenAI's Dots agent blurs the line between workplace software and personal assistant

OpenAI has released Dots, an AI agent platform that sits somewhere between personal shopping assistant and workplace productivity tool. Unlike the consumer-focused rivals like Meta's Muse, Dots feel decidedly corporate—though they can still handle everyday tasks like ordering dinner.

What Dots can do#

Each Dot comes with a customizable name and blobby avatar (the reviewer's was christened "Dotty McDotface"). The agent operates through a dual-pane interface where you chat with it in one window while watching it navigate a virtual machine in the other. Dots can access applications like Blender and GIMP out of the box, and—via the desktop ChatGPT app—can request access to your personal computer. They also support voice calls for hands-free collaboration.

The product positions itself as "Codex, but for regular people" according to OpenAI—a coworker-like tool designed to handle tasks across multiple software platforms rather than just shopping.

Mixed results on everyday tasks#

In testing, Dots stumbled on more routine assignments. When asked to schedule an internet service installation, it found a promotional discount in the reviewer's email but hit a wall at a security verification requiring a sustained mouse hold—something that exposed the limits of automated browser control. On its own, the agent couldn't complete checkout without human intervention to enter banking details.

Other attempts yielded uneven outcomes. The Dot missed a free trial option at a coworking space and instead proposed a paid day pass; a competing agent (Instinct) found the trial within minutes. Login failures plagued attempts to access an Ikea account and a neighborhood restaurant's ordering page, suggesting Dot's footprint triggered security checks more frequently than competitors. The reviewer notes that OpenAI provides documentation about websites blocking its cloud browser traffic.

Where Dots shine#

The agent demonstrated substantially stronger performance when given full system access. When tasked with redesigning the reviewer's outdated personal website, Dot excelled—engaging in iterative voice conversations that refined design elements section by section, then implementing those changes autonomously on the backend. Similarly, when consolidating video clips for social media, the agent delivered a polished result in minutes, outperforming the reviewer's earlier manual effort.