🔍 Read the full analysis: The Biggest Takeaways From OpenAI Dev Day 2026 on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
Prime made for students and young adults
- Fast, free delivery for dorm and study essentials
- Prime Video and Amazon Music included
- Member-only deals
TL;DR
OpenAI used its September 29 DevDay to present ChatGPT as a platform for people and software agents, announcing more than 20 products and features. The main releases include persistent Dots agents, expanded plugins, a limited-preview Decisions API and computer use in the Agents API; access and rollout details vary by product.
OpenAI announced more than 20 products and features at its September 29 DevDay, positioning ChatGPT as a platform where people can work alongside persistent software agents. The headline releases include Dots, agents powered by GPT-6 Astra, a broader plugin system and new developer APIs, with availability differing across products and customer plans.
OpenAI described Dots as persistent agents that can work on goals over time, track multiple projects and adapt to a user’s preferences. Each Dot runs on its own cloud computer and browser and can connect to more than 4,000 apps through plugins. The company says users can reach Dots through ChatGPT on desktop, web and mobile, as well as Slack and Teams. Voice calls are available, while texting is planned. The first Dot is included for eligible Pro and Business Premium users in supported markets; Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare customers can access a beta when an administrator enables it.
OpenAI’s examples include monitoring customer feedback, updating proposals as requirements change and rerunning analyses when new data arrives. These are company-described use cases, not independent evidence of performance. OpenAI says users can set rules to allow, require approval for or block actions, review background activity and pause or stop a Dot. Some sensitive tasks remain user-controlled, and the company warns that Dots can make mistakes. Work started in Codex or ChatGPT Work counts toward usage limits, even though chatting with a Dot does not.
The company also expanded plugins, which can connect services through MCP servers and provide reusable skills and interfaces. New features include plugin extensions inside ChatGPT, an updated creation and submission process, improved discovery, hosted Sites for shared use in organizations and support for MCP events that can trigger automations. Separately, the Decisions API is in limited preview for tasks with a defined set of possible answers, while the Agents API adds computer use so agents can operate software through its interface. OpenAI also announced Sign in with ChatGPT for 16 launch partners and described an enterprise Marketplace with 32 launch partners.
OpenAI DevDay 2026 at a glance
The five launches that matter, plus Sol
The rest of the slate
Collaboration
ChatGPT SpacelivePagesliveCollaborative slidesnext few weeksTeams and Team Taskslive@ChatGPT in Slack and TeamsliveMeetings pluginbeta, macOSShareable profilesliveCodex
Codex CloudliveCLI refreshvoice, /agentsCode ReviewliveCodex Security CloudlivePlans, enterprise, speed
Pro 500$500, 25× PlusUltrafastAstra now, Sol soonPrivate IntelligencePrivate Inference this fallBedrock Managed Agentsruns in AWSOpenAI Marketplace32 partners, applyChatGPT Becomes an Agent Platform
The announcements point to a broader role for ChatGPT in software workflows: an agent could interpret a user’s request, select a connected plugin and carry out tasks across services. For developers and businesses, plugin discovery and access permissions may shape whether their services are used when customers ask ChatGPT to complete a job. OpenAI’s new distribution features give builders more ways to present integrations, but the company has not supplied independent evidence that these changes will increase adoption or revenue.
Persistent agents also raise practical questions about delegation. Dots are designed to take action over time, which may reduce repeated manual work, while their access to connected apps and credentials makes controls, review and visibility part of the product’s operation. OpenAI’s stated safeguards describe how it intends users to supervise them; they do not establish how reliably agents will perform across every task.
From ChatGPT to Connected Workflows
DevDay’s announcements build on ChatGPT’s existing role as a place to use external services. OpenAI said the product reaches 1.2 billion weekly users, giving its plugin and agent plans a large potential audience. That figure is the company’s stated reach; the source material does not specify its measurement period or methodology.
The update also extends OpenAI’s developer tools beyond text responses. The Agents API’s computer-use capability is intended to let agents interact with software interfaces, while the Decisions API targets constrained choices where an application supplies the allowed answers. OpenAI said it runs the Codex harness for computer use. The source material describes GPT-6.1 Sol as offering near-Astra intelligence at one-fifth of Astra’s token prices, but provides no benchmark details or comparison methodology here.
Rollout and Reliability Questions
Availability is not uniform: the Decisions API is in limited preview, and access to Dots depends on plan, market and, for some organizational customers, administrator settings. The source material does not give a general release date for the Decisions API or a complete rollout schedule for the other announcements.
OpenAI’s examples do not establish how often Dots complete tasks correctly, how they handle failures across connected services or what the full cost of adding more agents and output capacity will be. The source also does not provide independent benchmarks for the model and API claims, including the comparison between GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Astra.
Access Expands in Stages
OpenAI says eligible Pro and Business Premium users can access Dots now in supported markets, while Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare customers can try a beta when an administrator enables it. The company said a broader Decisions API release is planned, but the supplied material does not state when it will arrive. Developers and organizations will need to follow OpenAI’s product documentation and rollout notices for access terms, supported features and further details.
Key Questions
What are OpenAI Dots?
Dots are persistent agents that OpenAI says can work toward goals, manage multiple projects and connect to more than 4,000 apps through plugins. Each has a cloud computer and browser.
Who can use Dots now?
OpenAI says Dots are available to Pro and Business Premium users in eligible markets. Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare customers can use a beta if an administrator enables it.
What does the Decisions API do?
It applies GPT-6 Luna to choices from a finite set of answers defined by the developer. OpenAI says the API is in limited preview; a general release date was not provided in the source material.
Can Dots take actions without approval?
OpenAI says users can set rules that allow, require approval for or block actions, and can monitor, pause or stop a Dot. The company also says some sensitive tasks remain user-controlled and warns that Dots can make mistakes.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
