OpenAI is introducing a new beta feature in ChatGPT called Tasks, allowing users to set reminders and schedule future actions.
The feature is available to Plus, Team, and Pro subscribers starting from Wednesday. It aims to turn the chatbot into a digital assistant, like Google Assistant or Siri, but with ChatGPT's more advanced language capabilities.
Tasks works by letting users tell ChatGPT what they need and when they need it done. Want a daily weather report at 7AM? A reminder about your passport expiration? Or maybe just a knock-knock joke to tell your kids before bedtime? ChatGPT can now handle all of that through scheduled one-time or recurring tasks.
To use the feature, subscribers need to select “4o with scheduled tasks” in ChatGPT’s model picker. From there, it’s as simple as typing out what you want ChatGPT to do and when you want it done. The system can also proactively suggest tasks based on your conversations, though users have to explicitly approve any suggestions before they’re created. (Honestly, I feel like the suggestions have the potential to create annoying slop by accident).
All tasks can be managed either directly in chat threads or through a new Tasks section (available only via the web) in the profile menu, so it’s easy to modify or cancel any task you’ve set up. Upon completion of these tasks, notifications will alert users on web, desktop, and mobile. There’s also a limit of 10 active tasks that can run simultaneously.
OpenAI hasn’t specified when (or if) the feature might come to free users, suggesting Tasks might remain a premium feature to help justify ChatGPT’s subscription costs. The company has monthly $20 and $200 subscription tiers.
While scheduling capabilities are a common feature in digital assistants, this marks a shift in ChatGPT’s functionality. Until now, the AI has operated solely in real time, responding to immediate requests rather than handling ongoing tasks or future planning. The addition of Tasks suggests OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT’s role beyond conversation into territory traditionally held by virtual assistants.
OpenAI’s ambitions for Tasks appear to stretch beyond simple scheduling, too. Bloomberg reported that “Operator,” an autonomous AI agent capable of independently controlling computers, is slated for release this month. Meanwhile, reverse engineer Tibor Blaho found that OpenAI appears to be working on something codenamed “Caterpillar” that could integrate with Tasks and allow ChatGPT to search for specific information, analyze problems, summarize data, navigate websites, and access documents — with users receiving notifications upon task completion.
As I previously wrote back in October, the rise of “agentic” AI in 2025 isn’t just about technological advancement — it’s about economics. These agent-like features represent a strategic way to monetize expensive AI infrastructure. While OpenAI’s decision to put this functionality behind ChatGPT’s paywall was predictable, the real question remains: will it deliver reliable results? The last time I got an OpenAI agent demo, it produced inaccurate information. The coming months will reveal whether the team has solved these fundamental reliability challenges.
I also think of this new feature as a slightly more sophisticated script, but at the end of the day, Tasks is following a simple, rote set of instructions, much like a typical bot. The goal of many frontier AI labs like OpenAI is to evolve these features into something that is able to interact with environments, learn from feedback, and make decisions without constant human input.
However, questions remain about how reliable these scheduled tasks will be and what happens if ChatGPT fails to deliver time-sensitive information. OpenAI’s decision to launch Tasks in beta suggests it’s still working out these details and wants to gather real-world feedback before a wider rollout.
Paying ChatGPT users can explore the new Tasks feature by selecting the "4o with scheduled tasks" option in the model picker. However, since it's still in beta, it may not be dependable for important reminders at this stage.
Source: the verge
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
