AI is moving fast. And while most people are still getting their heads around chatbots and automation tools, OpenAI has quietly launched something even more intriguing. It’s called Operator.
So what is it, and could it actually help your team do real work?
We gave it a spin on a Jersey-based list-building task, and here’s what we discovered.
What is Operator?
Operator is an experimental AI tool from OpenAI that mimics how a human uses a web browser. You give it a prompt, and it opens a browser, clicks around, reads what’s on screen and takes action, much like a real person would.
So yes, technically it could book a train ticket, fill out a form or help with research. It’s early days, but the potential is huge.
Testing it on a real task: Jersey Chamber list-building
We wanted to see how Operator handled a practical, real-world job. The goal? Pull company information from the Jersey Chamber of Commerce member directory.
We asked it to complete a spreadsheet with company name, website, brief description, business phone number and email address.
After sharing a Google Sheet and pasting in the URL, we let Operator take the lead.
What worked well
- It found the correct website. Operator understood the context of “Jersey, Channel Islands,” searched appropriately and landed on the right page.
- It located the member directory and started gathering data. Company names, websites and short descriptions came through smoothly.
- It interacted with the spreadsheet. It understood the column layout and began pasting in the right places.
Honestly, it felt a bit like watching a junior team member quietly get on with a job.
Where it struggled
As expected from a research preview, it had a few stumbles:
- The Chamber website flagged bot detection, so we had to step in and sign in manually.
- If key details like phone numbers were missing, Operator didn’t dig further or fill in the gaps.
- The spreadsheet formatting wasn’t perfect, and it occasionally pasted data in the wrong spot.
Still, it’s genuinely impressive that it got as far as it did with such minimal guidance.
The catch: access and pricing
Right now, Operator is only available to US-based users and requires the ChatGPT Pro Plan, which costs $200 per month. To run this test, we had to spoof our location using a VPN.
That said, OpenAI has hinted that wider access could be coming, possibly extending to Plus or even free users in the future.
The verdict: not quite ready, but seriously promising
Operator is still early stage, but it’s a clear glimpse into where AI is going, towards tools that take meaningful action, not just answer questions.
Imagine waking up to a contact list that was built while you slept, or having an AI assistant book your meetings across three platforms without lifting a finger. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re heading in that direction.
If you’re curious about how tools like Operator or other forms of AI automation could slot into your own workflows, we’d love to explore it with you.
