OpenAI to merge ChatGPT’s Chat and WORK tabs, kick-starting mass adoption of AI agents [Global AI Briefing]

[Financial News] OpenAI is bringing together ChatGPT’s general chat and work functions. The plan is to erase the boundary between conversational AI that answers questions and AI agents that handle complex tasks such as web searches, data analysis, and creating documents and presentations, and to kick-start the widespread adoption of AI agents.
According to a report by IT publication TechCrunch on the 2nd (local time), OpenAI emailed users to announce plans to combine ChatGPT’s “Chat” and “Work” tabs. OpenAI said it would first make the integrated service available to some users, then expand it to all users after gathering feedback.

ChatGPT’s desktop app is currently split into “Chat,” for general questions and conversation, and “Work,” for complex, multistep tasks. Users have to select a separate tab depending on the nature of the task. But once the two tabs are combined, users will be able to move from discussing ideas to creating finished work, all on one screen.
During a conversation, users can bring in files and plugins and ask ChatGPT to build a website, create a presentation, or carry out tasks on the web.
Users can also monitor the AI’s progress and adjust its direction while it works. In effect, it is evolving from a tool that simply answers questions into a work partner that completes deliverables based on users’ instructions.
OpenAI will, however, keep its specialized coding tool Codex in a separate section.
Last September, Anthropic also combined Claude’s general chat and Cowork, its feature for handling complex tasks, into a single screen.
AI services are moving away from the model of offering conversation and work separately.
Industry observers believe this move could help lower the barrier to using AI agents.
The expectation is that widespread adoption of AI agents will gain momentum as users are able to assign tasks directly in everyday conversations without having to find and launch a separate AI agent mode.
[email protected] Lee Gu-sun Reporter