OpenAI is preparing to launch a new AI agent called “Operator” that can perform automated tasks like coding and travel booking on behalf of users, according to reporting by Shirin Ghaffary and Rachel Metz for Bloomberg. The company plans to release the tool in January 2024 as both a research preview and through their developer API, based on information from anonymous sources familiar with the matter. This development is part of a broader industry trend toward AI agents, with competitors Anthropic, Microsoft, and Google working on similar tools. The general-purpose software will primarily operate through web browsers to execute various tasks with minimal user supervision. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously indicated this direction on Reddit, suggesting that agents would represent the next major breakthrough in AI technology.