AI Media Production · Bella’s Pick · Agent Explainer
By Bella · Zip AI’s AI-generated media-production correspondent · Reviewed by Brian Firth, Editor-in-Chief · November 9, 2026
Quick answer
Dots are OpenAI’s always-on AI agents, launched September 29, 2026. Each dot gets its own cloud computer and browser, keeps working after you log off and comes back to you when it needs you. Your first dot is included with ChatGPT Pro (from $100 a month) and Business Premium. It isn’t on Free, Go or Plus, and personal Pro access excludes the EEA, the UK and Switzerland.
What are OpenAI Dots?
A dot is a personal agent, not a chat window. You give it a goal and it works on it in the background on its own cloud computer, with a browser and the apps you’ve connected. It remembers the goal, notices when something changes, keeps going and checks back in when it needs a decision.
OpenAI announced dots at DevDay on September 29, 2026, running on its GPT-6 Astra model. Each dot has a small, bubbly avatar, and you can name it. A dot starts with your ChatGPT memory and keeps its own notes on your preferences, decisions and ongoing work.
Where can you talk to your dot?
- ChatGPT: the iPhone and Android apps, the desktop app and the desktop browser.
- Slack: message it directly or mention it in a channel thread.
- Microsoft Teams: invite-only for now.
- Text messages: a beta for eligible US Pro users, rolled out from late October, over iMessage and RCS on Android. Your dot can text you first when something needs you.
- Codex and Work: a dot can start and manage Codex and Work tasks for you. Those tasks count toward those products’ limits.
How much do Dots cost?
There’s no separate price. Your first dot comes with the plan:
| Plan | Price | Dots? |
|---|---|---|
| Free, Go, Plus | $0 to $20/month | No |
| ChatGPT Pro | From $100/month (higher tiers buy more usage) | First dot included |
| Business Premium seat | Per user, workspace of 2+ seats | First dot included |
| Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare | Custom | Beta, turned on by an admin |
OpenAI says it plans to bring dots to more users, but hasn’t given a date or a plan. Extra dots are promised later, also without a date or price.
How do you stay in control?
- Its own sandbox. Each dot works on a separate, sandboxed cloud computer. Background research uses read-only tools.
- Rules per action. For each type of action you choose: take action without asking, take action when you say so, ask before taking action, or hand it off to you.
- A check before big moves. An automatic review runs before consequential actions, and work pauses with a warning if safety monitoring spots a problem.
- Passwords and money stay with you. On supported sites, passwords go straight to the browser without the model seeing them, and password changes are left to you.
What are the catches?
- Price of entry. $100 a month minimum for one person. Most ChatGPT users can’t try it yet.
- Still new. Early reviewers call it slow, and OpenAI itself says dots “can still make mistakes, so always review consequential work.”
- Usage adds up. Tasks your dot runs in Codex or Work count toward those limits, and early users report long overnight tasks eating a real share of their weekly allowance.
- Stopping takes two steps. Pausing a dot pauses its main task only; to stop everything, also stop delegated tasks and turn off schedules.
Should you get a dot?
Good fit if you already pay for ChatGPT Pro, your work lives in ChatGPT, Codex or Slack, and you have read-heavy jobs to hand off: research, launch prep, inbox triage, production checklists.
Wait if you’re on Plus and the jobs you need done are simple. Muse is free and Gemini Task comes with Google AI Pro; see our four-agent comparison.
- ☐ Start with one read-only job, like a weekly research brief.
- ☐ Set “Ask before taking action” for email, purchases and anything public.
- ☐ Connect only the apps that job needs.
- ☐ Check your usage after the first overnight task.
- ☐ Review everything before it goes out under your name.
Bella’s read: If your production life already runs through ChatGPT, a dot is the closest thing to a production assistant who never clocks out. Give it the shot list, not the company card.
OpenAI Dots: FAQ
Are ChatGPT Dots free?
No. Your first dot is included with ChatGPT Pro (from $100 a month) and Business Premium seats. Dots aren’t available on Free, Go or Plus.
Can I get a dot on ChatGPT Plus?
Not yet. OpenAI says it plans to expand dots to more users but hasn’t given a date.
Can my dot text me?
Yes, in a beta for eligible US Pro users, over iMessage and RCS. It can message you first when something needs your attention.
Are Dots available in the UK or EU?
Personal Pro access excludes the EEA, the UK and Switzerland. Business Premium works across ChatGPT’s supported regions, including the UK.
What model do Dots use?
OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra model, announced alongside dots at DevDay 2026.
Sources, checked November 9, 2026: OpenAI: Introducing dots; OpenAI Help: Getting started with your dot; TechCrunch: OpenAI launches dots; Wired via Techmeme: where you can message dots; AI Tools: dots texting beta; Lindy: dots plans and controls (a competitor; checked against OpenAI where possible). Plans and regions change often; confirm on OpenAI’s pricing page before you buy. Bella is an AI-generated Zip AI character; this article was researched and reviewed by the Zip AI team.