OpenAI on Thursday launched ChatGPT Work, a new agent designed to take on complex, multi-step projects by collecting information from across applications and workflows and producing finished outputs including spreadsheets, slides, documents, and web applications. The company also released GPT-5.6, the latest model that powers ChatGPT Work and emphasizes reasoning through multi-step processes as well as generating materials that adhere to user templates and reference files.
ChatGPT Work is built to operate with a high degree of independence. It can decompose broad assignments into smaller tasks and continue working for hours without the need for constant supervision. Throughout a project users can monitor progress, respond to questions, redirect the agent, and approve significant actions, giving human teams checkpoints while the system runs autonomously on routine or extended jobs.
The product supports Scheduled Tasks so projects can progress even when users are away from their devices. Example workflows include converting incoming messages from Microsoft Teams and Slack into updated documents or slide decks and then sharing those changes back to teams, enabling collaboration that updates continuously as conversations occur.
OpenAI said Codex technology is incorporated into the new ChatGPT system. According to the company, more than 5 million people use Codex weekly, and more than 1 million of those users rely on it for work outside of software development. The integration keeps coding-focused capabilities available within the broader ChatGPT environment.
Third-party and enterprise users provided early use cases. Angela Ferrante, Head of Enterprise Marketing at Zapier, described a deployment that used ChatGPT Work to review thousands of leads each month. In that instance the agent traced customer touchpoints across Zapier’s CRM, email, and other tools and produced a weekly executive dashboard that surfaced seven figures in potential sales.
Within OpenAI nearly 100% of internal teams - including finance and sales - now use ChatGPT Work and Codex. The company reported that in sales a discovery conversation could be converted into a tailored proof of concept within 24 hours, a task that commonly takes weeks. In finance the company experienced a compression of month-end close and forecasting timelines from days to hours.
The ChatGPT desktop application has been updated to include Work and Codex capabilities. The standalone Codex app is being merged into the ChatGPT desktop app; coding agent functions for developers remain and new capabilities are being added, such as inline editing within diffs, pull request review, and support for multiple repositories within a single project.
ChatGPT Work connects to systems and applications through a plugin architecture. Supported integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, SharePoint, email, calendars, and customer relationship management systems. Users can instruct the agent to pull context from a particular app by typing "@" and the app name, enabling targeted context retrieval across connected tools.
OpenAI also launched Sites in public beta. Sites lets users convert work or ideas into interactive sites or web applications that can be shared via a URL. Use cases highlighted by the company include live dashboards, project trackers, launch calendars, prototypes, internal portals, and interactive reports.
On desktop, ChatGPT now includes a built-in browser to collect information online and interact with web-based tools. A feature called Computer Use permits ChatGPT to operate on users’ behalf across applications, tools, and browsers to execute tasks.
The company is updating its Chrome extension to allow ChatGPT use directly from Chrome’s sidebar. OpenAI will retire the standalone Atlas browser and will communicate transition details to existing users.
Administrators for Enterprise and Edu accounts can manage access controls, define which company context ChatGPT may use, determine which tools it can connect to, and set permissible actions. A Compliance API is available to provide visibility into ChatGPT Work conversations and the actions the agent takes.
OpenAI also described an auto-review mechanism that uses its models to inspect important actions involving connected tools and APIs before they are executed. During adversarial red teaming, the auto-review system reportedly blocked 100% of attempts to extract protected data.
Rollout for ChatGPT Work begins on web and mobile, initially for Pro, Enterprise, and Edu users, with an expansion to Plus and Business users planned over the following days. The refreshed ChatGPT desktop app is available globally for Mac and Windows, and Chat, Work, and Codex are listed as accessible to users on every plan, including the Free tier.
Implementation and reach
The release bundles agent autonomy with integrations and administrative controls intended to support both individual productivity and enterprise use. The merging of Codex into the desktop ChatGPT app preserves developer-focused features while broadening the functionality available to non-developer workflows. Sites in public beta provides an avenue to convert outputs into shareable web experiences, which could be useful for teams that need lightweight internal portals or live reporting.
Deployment details
- ChatGPT Work can operate autonomously on decomposed tasks and supports Scheduled Tasks to continue work without user presence.
- Connections to Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, SharePoint, email, calendars, and CRMs enable cross-application context aggregation.
- Admin controls and a Compliance API provide governance over access, context, connected tools, and agent actions.
Note: The article presents product capabilities, reported usage figures, and internal adoption examples as described by the company. It does not evaluate outcomes beyond those statements.