OpenAI Launches “Operator” An AI Agent That Can Use Your Web Browser

OpenAI just took a giant leap toward fully autonomous AI agents…

The company released a new tool called Operator that can literally take control of a web browser and perform tasks for you—everything from booking flights and ordering groceries to managing hotel reservations and filling out web forms.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Some big names in AI got their hands on Operator and are saying it offers a preview of how AI will completely change how we interact with websites. Others see the road ahead being a lot longer—and more complicated—than you might expect.

So, what’s really going on?

Myself and Marketing AI Institute founder and CEO Paul Roetzer broke it all down on Episode 132 of The Artificial Intelligence Show.

What Exactly Is Operator?

Operator is powered by what OpenAI calls a “Computer-Using Agent” (CUA) model, meaning it knows how to navigate normal websites that real humans use. Instead of waiting for specialized integrations or plugins, Operator just “looks” at web pages through its own dedicated browser window—and clicks, types, and scrolls just like you or I would.

• It can handle routine tasks such as making restaurant reservations or booking flights.
• If it gets stuck or needs sensitive information, it hands control back to you.
• It’s currently only available to U.S. users with ChatGPT’s $200/month Pro plan, but OpenAI plans to roll it out more widely.

In short, it’s a first attempt at giving AI a pair of “hands” online—though it’s not quite fully autonomous yet.

Early Reactions from Top AI Voices

Some of AI’s most influential figures immediately weighed in on Operator:

• Vedant Misra (Google DeepMind researcher, formerly OpenAI) says Operator nailed his test requests and that the general public probably can’t grasp how big this is.
• Allie Miller praised the sleek interface but also said Operator’s navigation is sometimes slow—and it can get blocked by certain sites that detect AI activity.
• Ethan Mollick found it surprisingly good, but warned that security is going to get “very weird, very fast.”

Perhaps the most forward-looking perspective came from Andrej Karpathy, who once led OpenAI’s early browser-control research (dubbed “World of Bits”) back in 2017. Karpathy posted that we’re entering a “decade of agents,” but that fully reliable, plug-and-play AI agents are still not quite here. In his words:

“There’s a huge amount of work across the board to make it actually work, but it should work.”

Translation?

Operator’s capabilities are impressive for 2025-level tech, but they’re definitely in preview mode—and there’s a lot of road left to travel before we see this working perfectly across the entire web.

Why It’s a Preview of Things to Come

Despite how cool the demos look, most experts (including Roetzer) agree that Operator won’t suddenly transform your day-to-day—yet.

“OpenAI seems like it's probably the most advanced of the previews of this technology that we've gotten," says Roetzer. However, his initial perception is that Operator is “definitely more of like an experimentation thing” right now.

That’s because:

1. It’s slow and somewhat limited. You’ll still need to step in to handle logins and payments, and Operator can get stuck or blocked.
2. Security risks are high. Enterprises, in particular, are unlikely to quickly embrace an AI that can freely click around behind your corporate firewalls until they figure out robust data policies.
3. We’re still extremely early. Like all brand-new AI releases, this is more about experimentation than mass adoption. Real-world usage will reveal what Operator can—or can’t—actually do safely and reliably.

However, it’s precisely these “preview” moments that clue us in to future breakthroughs. The fact that Operator exists at all proves that fully autonomous agents are inching closer. Give it six, twelve, or eighteen months, and we might see something that’s infinitely more reliable—and far more useful for average businesses and consumers.

Why Marketers and Businesses Should Care

If it seems too experimental for most organizations, that’s because it is. But the conversation is already shifting to what happens when it works really well:

• Search and SEO: Operator-like agents could soon navigate the web on behalf of users, making the old ways of optimizing for search less relevant. If you rely on customers manually visiting your site or store, how do you cater to AI agents that do the visiting for them?
• Security and Fraud: Imagine an army of AI agents filling out forms or making web requests at scale. Marketers and IT teams need to plan for a future where half of your inbound traffic might be automated.
• B2B Buying Journeys: Down the road, AI-driven “buyers” could compare vendor sites, fill out RFP forms, and handle negotiations automatically. If you’re not preparing for that reality, you risk losing out to competitors who do.

Roetzer notes that industry-by-industry analysis is the next big step for professionals:

“If you’re a lawyer, accountant, HR professional, consultant, or CEO, there’s a real opportunity to figure out how something like Operator impacts your field."

So…Is This Going to Replace People?

At this early stage, no. Operator isn’t advanced enough to simply replace entire teams or handle mission-critical processes. But it’s a foot in the door for the kind of technology that eventually could have an impact on jobs. If you see glimpses of AI tools that can plan tasks, navigate websites, and free your team from repetitive work, you have a solid preview of how job roles may evolve.

So, what do you do about it right now? Roetzer suggests starting to think through a few steps.

• AI Policy Concerns: If your company hasn’t revisited its policies around generative AI, now’s the time. The same issues you faced with ChatGPT—data privacy, brand safety, intellectual property—get multiplied once AI can “move” across the web.
• Staffing for an AI Future: The big opportunities lie in training people who understand these technologies. The real winners will be those who develop the expertise to integrate AI agents safely and effectively.
• Watch for More Rollouts: OpenAI plans to integrate Operator into ChatGPT’s Plus, Team, and Enterprise tiers—and eventually into ChatGPT at large. This means a growing user base will soon experiment with letting AI handle browser tasks.
• Think Long-Term: As Andrej Karpathy said, we’re entering “the decade of agents.” Operator is just the first step. Expect more slow, steady improvements before the technology actually transforms your life or business.

The bottom line?

Operator is a wild new step in AI autonomy—but it’s more like a sneak peek than a fully polished product. The real story here is that AI agents are marching forward, one milestone at a time. If you’re not already thinking about how they’ll reshape your marketing, customer experience, and overall business, you may find yourself scrambling when the hype finally turns into mainstream reality.