OpenAI has put its new always-on Dots agents behind a ChatGPT plan that starts at $100 a month, even as rival Meta lets people try its Muse agent for free.
Key Points:
- OpenAI's new Dots agents are only available on paid ChatGPT plans, starting with the $100-a-month Pro 100 tier.
- Sam Altman says the agents use a lot of compute but promises a mass-market version someday.
- Meta's Muse, launched Sept. 8, is free to start in the U.S. and Canada.
OpenAI Dots Pricing
CEO Sam Altman unveiled the agents at the company's DevDay conference in San Francisco on Tuesday. Each Dot runs on the GPT-6 Astra model and gets its own cloud computer and browser, so it can keep working on a goal after the user closes ChatGPT.
It can also connect to more than 4,000 apps and take instructions through Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Pro 100, which costs $100 a month, is the cheapest plan that includes a Dot, while a Business Premium seat costs $125 per user each month. Free and Plus subscribers can't get one, and Pro users in the U.K., Switzerland and the European Economic Area are locked out for now.
The first Dot comes at no extra cost, and OpenAI says users will be able to add more later, though it hasn't named a price. Chats with the agent don't count toward ChatGPT usage limits, but the tasks it runs draw on plan allowances. Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare workspaces can switch on a beta through their admins.
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Sam Altman On Cost
Altman said Dots are "starting out as a premium product" because "it uses a lot of compute," speaking at a press briefing after his keynote. He added that people should expect OpenAI to build a mass-market version "for billions of people someday."
Glen Coates, OpenAI's head of app platform, said the company wants to be careful about how its agents use plug-ins, sign in to services and pay for things. Jean-Denis Grèze, CEO of work assistant maker Town, said in a statement that the launch "continues to validate the category and the need for work assistants." That focus on professionals sets Dots apart from Muse, which Meta built for everyday users and small businesses.
Meta Muse Lead
Meta launched Muse on Sept. 8, three weeks before DevDay, giving each user an agent that runs in its own cloud environment and keeps working after the app closes. The agent quickly climbed to the top of both Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store.
Muse is free with a usage cap in the U.S. and Canada, with paid plans at $20 and $100 a month. Its rise has also brought problems. Meta drew criticism after Muse reportedly took over a user's Facebook Marketplace account and gave the user's address to a stranger without the user realizing.
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