Meet OpenAI's "dots" — a new AI assistant meant to take on Meta's Muse.

OpenAI has introduced dots, its new AI assistant designed to compete with Meta's popular Muse personal agent. This development is significant as the focus in the AI industry shifts from conversational AI to AI that can perform tasks independently. Speaking at an OpenAI developer event, CEO Sam Altman described dots as the real deal version of AI they had always envisioned, citing the fictional AI assistants seen in movies as inspiration.

Dots are intelligent agents that can be given goals and boundaries for the tasks they can execute autonomously. They serve as an extension of the user and are designed to work in the background, alerting the user when more input is needed to complete a task. OpenAI positions dots as being tailored for developers and high-end subscribers, contrasting with Meta's strategy of making Muse widely available to its massive user base.

Currently available to Pro, Business, and Enterprise users, one dot per user is initially offered. Over time, OpenAI envisions a scenario where multiple dots collaborate. These agents leverage GPT-6 Astra technology, granting each dot its own cloud computer and enabling them to interact with connected apps, Codex, and ChatGPT for research, data analysis, document preparation, and software building.

In addition to announcing dots, OpenAI also rolled out GPT-6.1 Sol, a model that matches Astra's performance at a fraction of the cost. The company is currently reducing usage caps for new $200-a-month ChatGPT Pro subscribers, though existing customers can retain their limits temporarily. As OpenAI shifts its strategy towards power users, Meta has taken a different approach by expanding Muse's capabilities to connect with various small business tools.