OpenAI is building AI agents for everything. Will everyone use them?
techcrunch ·
OpenAI released ChatGPT Work, a $20-per-month agentic product aimed at letting white-collar workers delegate complex, multi-step digital tasks to AI. The product evolved from OpenAI's Codex coding tool, but internal data shows a stark adoption gap: while 98% of OpenAI employees used Codex, fewer than 1% of individual subscribers did. The article highlights the difficulty of making agentic AI intuitive for non-engineers, including issues with permissions, confusing settings, and the need for high "effort" levels to avoid poor results. A TechCrunch reporter tested the tool, successfully automating tasks like calendar syncing and data dashboards, but found setup frustrating and access controls limited. OpenAI engineers acknowledge the challenge of evaluating non-coding workflows and rely on benchmarks plus user feedback. The company also faces competition from vertical-specific AI startups, and industry analysts warn that value will shift to those who nail the complementary assets needed to scale AI.
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