Introduction
Imagine asking an AI to build your quarterly sales report in Excel or draft your next investor presentation—and getting back polished files in minutes. On July 17, 2025, OpenAI launched a brand-new ChatGPT agent designed to do exactly that. By combining web browsing, file creation, and powerful connectors, this agent transforms ChatGPT from a conversational tool into a full-blown digital assistant.
What Is the New OpenAI Agent?
The ChatGPT agent merges two earlier OpenAI offerings—Operator, which uses a virtual browser to navigate websites visually, and Deep Research, which scours the web for in-depth analysis—into one seamless experience. It also leverages Connectors to access external services like Gmail, Google Drive, Dropbox, and SharePoint, enabling it to pull data directly from your accounts and export finished files back to you. Learn more on the OpenAI blog.
Key Features of OpenAI agent: Automating Spreadsheets and Presentations
Spreadsheet Generation
Automated Tables & Formulas: Simply prompt the agent to “create a budget spreadsheet with monthly revenue, expenses, and profit margins,” and it will build a fully formatted Excel file with appropriate formulas and charts.
Data Import: Upload a CSV or point the agent to an online dataset, and it can ingest that data into your spreadsheet—no manual copy-paste required.
Visualizations: Generate bar charts, line graphs, and pivot tables on demand to highlight key metrics.
PowerPoint Creation
Template Selection: Choose from a library of professional layouts or specify your own brand assets.
Dynamic Content Insertion: Ask the agent to pull in charts from your newly generated spreadsheet, add speaker notes, and sprinkle in relevant stock images.
Rapid Drafting: A 10-slide project update deck can be ready in under five minutes.
How It Works: New OpenAI agent
Prompt & Planning: You describe your needs in natural language.
Autonomous Browsing: The agent’s virtual browser clicks, scrolls, and interacts—as if a person were at the keyboard.
Research & Synthesis: Deep Research capabilities gather context from the web and your linked files.
File Assembly: In a sandboxed environment, the agent compiles the Excel or PowerPoint file and makes it available for download.
Availability and Pricing
Launch Date: July 17, 2025
Access: Available immediately to Pro, Plus, and Team subscribers under “Agent Mode” in the ChatGPT interface.
Prompt Limits: Pro users get 400 agent prompts per month; Plus and Team users receive 40 prompts monthly.
Coming Soon: Enterprise and Education plans will gain access later this summer.
No word yet on a free-tier rollout.
Use Cases: Real-World Applications
Business: Automate financial forecasting, generate investor pitch decks, or build detailed sales summaries.
Education: Produce lecture slides, compile gradebook reports, or prepare research presentations.
Personal: Plan events with budget trackers, craft travel itineraries, or summarize large PDF documents.
Competition and Market Impact
Microsoft’s Copilot for Microsoft 365 already offers AI-powered assistance within Excel and PowerPoint, but OpenAI’s agent stands out by operating from a unified ChatGPT interface and supporting a broader range of web-connected workflows. Google’s Workspace AI tools for Sheets and Slides are still limited to preview modes. With deep-research capabilities and multi-app connectors, OpenAI is positioning itself to challenge the traditional office suite model.
Safety and Control Measures
- Watch Mode: For high-risk tasks—like financial transactions or personal data access—the agent requires you to watch its actions in real time.
- Replay Feature: Every agent session is recorded, so you can scrub through its browsing and command history to audit what happened.
- Permission Prompts: Before sending emails, making purchases, or accessing sensitive files, the agent pauses and asks for explicit consent.
Conclusion
OpenAI’s new ChatGPT agent marks a significant step toward truly autonomous digital assistants. By automating spreadsheets and slide decks—and handling everything from data gathering to file assembly—this agent can save hours each week for professionals, educators, and individuals alike. Ready to give it a try? Open your ChatGPT interface, select Agent Mode, and start commanding your AI to build the next generation of office documents for you.
FAQs
What is Agent Mode and how does it differ from regular ChatGPT?
Agent Mode equips ChatGPT with a virtual browser and file system, enabling it to complete multi-step tasks like browsing websites, interacting with web apps, and generating downloadable files.
Who can access the spreadsheet/slide-making agent?
It’s currently open to Pro, Plus, and Team subscribers. Enterprise and Education users will be added by the end of summer 2025.
Does it support Google Slides or Sheets?
Not yet. The agent works with PowerPoint and Excel only; Google Workspace integration is on the roadmap.
How does OpenAI ensure my data is safe?
Through “watch mode” for risky tasks, a replay function for auditing, and explicit permission prompts before sensitive actions.
What are the pricing details and prompt limits?
Pro users get 400 prompts per month; Plus and Team users get 40. Enterprise pricing will vary based on volume and use case.
