🔍 Read the full analysis: What OpenAI’s Dev Day 2026 Revealed About Its Plans on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
OpenAI used its September 29 DevDay to announce more than 20 products and features centered on agents, plugins and developer APIs. The announcements point to a plan to make ChatGPT a platform where people and agents can use connected software to complete tasks, though availability, safeguards and business impact vary by product.
OpenAI announced more than 20 products and features at its September 29 DevDay, expanding ChatGPT with persistent agents, new plugin tools and APIs for delegating software tasks. The announcements signal a push to make ChatGPT a shared platform for people and agents; OpenAI said the service reaches 1.2 billion weekly users.
The most prominent consumer announcement was Dots, persistent agents powered by GPT-6 Astra. OpenAI says each Dot gets its own cloud computer and browser, can connect to more than 4,000 apps through plugins, and can work across several projects over time. Users can access Dots through ChatGPT on desktop, web and mobile, as well as Slack and Teams. Voice calls are available, while texting is described as forthcoming.
Access is initially aimed at Pro and Business Premium subscribers in eligible markets. Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare customers can use a beta if an administrator enables it; the feature is off by default. The first Dot is included in the plan, and chatting with it does not count toward usage limits. Tasks it starts in Codex or ChatGPT Work do count. OpenAI says users may later add Dots or pay for more speed and monthly output per agent.
OpenAI also expanded its plugin system, which can connect external services through MCP servers and include reusable skills and optional user interfaces. New features include plugin extensions in ChatGPT, a revised creator and submission process, improved discovery, Sites for hosting plugins, and support for MCP events that can trigger automations when something happens in a connected app. Enterprise customers can also spend part of an OpenAI commitment in a marketplace with 32 launch partners, including Figma, Adobe, Salesforce and ServiceNow.
Two developer announcements address narrower automation tasks. The Decisions API, in limited preview, uses GPT-6 Luna to select from a finite set of answers defined by an app developer, using supplied text or images as context. OpenAI says this can support classification, request routing or choosing an agent’s next action. The Agents API now supports computer use, allowing agents to operate software through its interface; OpenAI says it runs the Codex harness for developers.
At launch, Sign in with ChatGPT lets users bring an existing plan to 16 partner services. OpenAI also announced GPT-6.1 Sol, which it described as offering near-Astra intelligence at one-fifth of Astra’s token prices. The event included other model options, including Ultrafast and Pro 500, but the supplied announcement provides no further specifications for those models.
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 Gateway
Together, the announcements put distribution and task completion at the center of OpenAI’s developer strategy. If users ask ChatGPT for an outcome and an agent selects a connected plugin to do the work, a business may be reached through that plugin before a customer knows the provider’s name. That could make visibility in the plugin directory, user permissions and successful completion more consequential for software companies.
For users, the proposed benefit is that an agent can carry work across services and continue tasks as conditions change. OpenAI’s examples include monitoring customer feedback and returning tested code changes, updating proposals when requirements shift, and rerunning scientific analysis as new data arrives. These are company examples, not independent evidence of typical performance. The more software access an agent receives, the more its permissions and oversight affect what it can do.
The enterprise pilot program for Specialist Dots extends the same model to defined workplace roles. OpenAI says these agents will have their own identity, credentials and IT-provisioned hardware, with initial pilots in procurement, invoice processing, email marketing, customer support and commercial contracting. A planned Microsoft Agent 365 integration is intended to support governance, though the announcement does not specify its rollout schedule.
From Chatbot to Connected Software
OpenAI framed the event as a move from chatbot toward an agent platform, using ChatGPT as a shared surface for people and agents. The company cited 1.2 billion weekly users as the scale of that surface. That figure is an OpenAI statement; the announcement does not provide a methodology or a comparison period.
The plugin changes build on a system that packages skills and connections to outside services. OpenAI says users choose which plugins to use and approve the access each receives. Its developer materials also describe conversion specifications for restaurant reservations, quote requests and product checkout, along with a guide to submitting a Claude Code plugin. Those materials suggest the company is seeking integrations from beyond its own agent ecosystem.
Dots have separate cloud computers, according to OpenAI, and access to a user’s laptop requires permission. The company says saved passwords can be used without exposing them to the model, and that background proactive research is limited to read-only tools. Custom Rules can allow, require approval for or block actions; an Activity View displays background work, and monitoring can pause or stop a Dot.
Limits and Rollout Still Vary
OpenAI warns that Dots can make mistakes, and some actions remain reserved for users. The announcement says sensitive tasks such as changing a password stay with the user, but it does not provide detailed reliability results, a complete list of restricted actions or independent evaluations of how safeguards perform.
Availability also differs by plan and market. Dots are limited to eligible Pro and Business Premium customers at launch, while enterprise, education and healthcare access depends on an administrator enabling a beta. The Decisions API is in limited preview. The source material does not specify dates for broader access, pricing for additional Dots, or the exact scope of the planned Agent 365 integration.
OpenAI’s examples and capability descriptions are company claims. The announcement does not establish how often agents complete these tasks successfully, how the 1.2 billion weekly user figure is calculated, or whether GPT-6.1 Sol’s price and capability comparison holds across different workloads.
Pilots and Broader Access Ahead
OpenAI says it is beginning Specialist Dot pilots across five workplace functions and plans an integration with Microsoft Agent 365. Developers can use the Decisions API in limited preview, while eligible customers can access Dots under the announced plan and beta conditions. OpenAI has not published a broader release timetable in the supplied material.
The next practical milestones are wider product availability, more detail on costs and usage limits, and evidence from customers using agents in live workflows. Those developments will show how often agents can complete tasks reliably and how businesses manage permissions across connected apps.
Key Questions
What did OpenAI announce at DevDay 2026?
OpenAI announced more than 20 products and features, including persistent Dots, expanded plugins, the Decisions API, computer use in the Agents API, Sign in with ChatGPT and GPT-6.1 Sol.
Who can use Dots now?
OpenAI says Dots are available to Pro and Business Premium subscribers in eligible markets. Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare customers can use a beta when an administrator enables it.
What can an OpenAI Dot do?
OpenAI describes Dots as persistent agents that can use a cloud computer and browser, connect to more than 4,000 apps through plugins and work across several projects. The company warns that they can make mistakes.
What does the Decisions API do?
In limited preview, it uses GPT-6 Luna to choose among a finite set of answers defined by a developer, based on supplied text or images. OpenAI lists classification and request routing as possible uses.
What remains unknown about the announcements?
OpenAI has not provided a broad rollout schedule, detailed performance results for Dots, or full specifications for every model announced. Availability and some usage rules depend on plan, market and administrator settings.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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