ChatGPT Can Now 'Think and Act' on Your Behalf: Here's What You Need to Know

ChatGPT Can Now ‘Think and Act’ on Your Behalf: Here’s What You Need to Know

ChatGPT has taken a major leap from being a smart chatbot to becoming a fully capable digital assistant. Announced on Thursday, July 17, 2025, OpenAI rolled out a transformative update that allows ChatGPT to plan, reason, and execute multi-step actions using a powerful new system of tools and short-term memory.

Smarter, More Capable

This update marks the beginning of a new era for AI interaction. ChatGPT now has the ability to “think” through tasks, make decisions, and take initiative to help users achieve their goals.

Unlike before—where users gave a prompt and received a response—the new version can handle complex, multi-step tasks. For example, if you ask it to plan a budget-friendly trip to Nairobi with a limit of Sh50,000, ChatGPT can:

Search for flights and accommodation
Compare prices
Create a detailed itinerary
Draft a checklist or a spreadsheet for budgeting

This is made possible by a system known as the Agent, which combines a “planner” for decision-making and a “controller” for action execution.

Built-in Tools Powering the Shift

ChatGPT now operates with a suite of built-in tools, including:

Code Interpreter – to perform calculations or analyze data
File Handler – to understand and process uploaded documents
Operator (Smart Browser) – to search and interact with websites
Deep Research – to fetch and synthesize web information

Privacy and Safety at the Core

According to Yash Kumar (Project Lead) and Isa Fulford (Research Lead), the update was built with safety in mind. Here’s what users need to know:

The agent asks for confirmation before any irreversible action, like sending emails or making purchases.
Financial transactions are restricted.
“Watch mode” limits what the AI can do if you’re on sensitive websites—such as banking portals.
No access to long-term memory by default.
Short-term memory is used to focus on tasks but is not saved permanently.

Who Can Use It?

This powerful upgrade is available exclusively to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team subscribers. Free-tier users will continue using the regular ChatGPT without tool access or autonomous action features.

“Think of it as a virtual assistant with initiative, one that understands your goals and can start moving toward them, safely, intelligently, and efficiently,” said the OpenAI team.

What This Means for Kenya and Beyond

As AI continues to become more integrated into daily life, this evolution of ChatGPT could offer major productivity boosts for students, freelancers, businesses, and developers in Kenya and across Africa.

Whether it’s planning projects, handling research, or automating digital workflows, ChatGPT’s new capabilities are poised to revolutionize how individuals and organizations get work done.

In other news:AI Revolution in Kenya: James Rege Urges Youth to Embrace Digital Jobs and Global Opportunities

ChatGPT Can Now ‘Think and Act’ on Your Behalf: Here’s What You Need to Know