Dots

2026-10-07

COMPANIES · 1 SOURCE · WIRED AI

OpenAI releases Dots agents for ChatGPT; Wired review finds rough behavior

OpenAI has rolled out Dots, an "always-on" agent feature inside ChatGPT that can run recurring tasks, proactively message users, and be connected to personal accounts (Wired notes the feature is currently behind a $100/month subscription). A Wired reporter testing Dots found useful task automation but also missteps — such as misremembering a name, mishearing input, and an awkward mirrored emotional reply — highlighting early reliability and privacy concerns.

6.0

2026-10-06

STARTUPS · 1 SOURCE · TechCrunch AI

Hark launches Hark Pro AI personal assistant with privacy-focused UX

Hark, a startup founded by Brett Adcock, has widely released Hark Pro, a full‑screen AI personal assistant that integrates with users’ email, calendar and files and offers a free tier plus subscription for heavy users. The product uses a model trained specifically for computer tasks, emphasizes privacy and transparency (it shows how the agent navigates the web), and the company says it plans an AI‑native device to support the software in 2027.

6.0

2026-10-01

COMPANIES · 5 SOURCES · TechCrunch AI · The Verge AI · WIRED AI · The Decoder · OpenAI

OpenAI launches Dots — always-on assistants powered by GPT-6 Astra

OpenAI unveiled Dots at DevDay: always-on, agentic assistants powered by the GPT-6 Astra model that run on their own cloud computer, can access a web browser and 4,000+ apps, and interact via text or voice across ChatGPT, Teams, and Slack. Dots are rolling out to ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium users, start with one per account, include custom rules and an auto-review safety feature, and conversations with a Dot do not count toward ChatGPT usage limits.

9.0

2026-09-30

MONEY · 1 SOURCE · TechCrunch AI

Consumer AI adoption and spending remain low despite new assistants

Despite recent consumer-facing launches like Meta’s Muse, OpenAI’s Dots, and startups such as Instinct, Andreessen Horowitz’s semiannual State of Markets report (citing PNC) shows only ~2.2% of consumers paying for AI at an average of about $31/month; Bank of America data gives a similar low-adoption picture. The article argues that high operating costs for advanced models are capping consumer monetization, pushing major labs toward enterprise and vertical strategies.

6.5

2026-09-29

COMPANIES · 1 SOURCE · TechCrunch AI

OpenAI turns ChatGPT into an app-discovery and usage surface with plugins, extensions, Sign in with ChatGPT and Dots agents

At its Dev Day, OpenAI expanded ChatGPT’s plugin architecture to support interactive extensions, introduced "Sign in with ChatGPT" allowing users to carry AI allowances into third-party apps (with 16 launch partners named), rolled out an enterprise OpenAI Marketplace with 30+ partners, and unveiled autonomous agents called Dots that can use connected apps and run tasks in their own cloud environments. The changes make ChatGPT a discovery, launch and usage surface for apps while improving plugin review and developer workflow.

8.0