Agentic AI just got very real

Welcome to Fast Company's Plugged In, where we explore the latest developments in technology and its impact on our daily lives. Today, we're diving into the world of agentic AI, specifically OpenAI's new Dots agent, which has been making waves in the tech community.

Dots, powered by OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra model, is designed to enhance productivity by proactively alerting users to significant facts and discrepancies in their calendar and email. During a recent speaking engagement, Dots alerted me to a rescheduled event, preventing me from walking into an empty room. This is just one example of how Dots has gone beyond being a mere buzzword and has become an essential tool for productivity.

OpenAI announced Dots at its DevDay conference in San Francisco on September 29, and it is currently available to users on paid tiers, starting at $100 per month. CEO Sam Altman has hinted at the company's plans to make agentic AI accessible to a broader audience once Dots has been refined and the economics have been figured out.

Dots relies on access to users' online accounts, such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Dropbox, and other platforms, to gather information and identify areas where it can provide assistance. In my experience, Dots has outperformed other personal AI agents like Meta's Muse and Instinct, which are also gaining popularity in Silicon Valley.

One of Dots' standout features is its ability to triage incoming emails, identifying urgent messages and nudging users to address them. This feature is particularly valuable in an inbox flooded with irrelevant pitches. Dots also excels at researching shopping deals and preparing reports on wireless carriers, demonstrating its versatility and potential to transform various aspects of our work and personal lives.