# What Are ChatGPT Dots, and Should You Turn One On? (September 2026) > OpenAI launched dots on September 29, 2026: always-on agents in ChatGPT, powered by GPT-6 Astra, that keep working toward a goal on their own cloud computer and report back through ChatGPT, Slack, or Teams. Here's what a dot actually does, which plans get one, what it costs, and how to set one up so it can't do anything you haven't approved. **Author:** [Alex Lowe](https://theaicareerlab.com/about) — Founder, The AI Career Lab **Published:** 2026-09-29 **Canonical URL:** https://theaicareerlab.com/blog/what-are-chatgpt-dots-2026 **Category:** industry-news **Tags:** ChatGPT, OpenAI, dots, AI agents, GPT-6 Astra, ChatGPT Pro, AI at work, 2026 --- > **TL;DR:** A **dot** is an always-on agent in ChatGPT, launched by OpenAI on **September 29, 2026**. You give it a goal and access to your apps; it keeps working in the background on its own cloud computer, powered by **GPT-6 Astra**, and reports back in ChatGPT, Slack, or Teams. It is rolling out to **ChatGPT Pro** (outside the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK) and **Business Premium**, with an off-by-default beta for Enterprise. The first dot is included, and its usage does not count against your plan for the first month. Should you turn one on? If you have repeat work that needs watching, yes, but start it on read-only access and require approval before it sends, deletes, or buys anything. For most professionals, a dot is the first ChatGPT feature that works while you are not looking. That is the whole point and also the whole risk. This post covers what dots do, who gets them, what they cost, and a sensible way to set one up. ## What a dot actually does OpenAI describes dots as agents that "take on ongoing work and keep making progress between conversations." In practice: - **You set a goal, not a prompt.** For example: "Track open items from my client calls and draft follow-ups," or "Watch customer feedback and summarize new complaints every morning." - **It has its own computer.** Each dot runs on a cloud computer with its own browser, separate from your laptop. You can open that computer at any time and watch or inspect what it did. - **It connects to your apps.** OpenAI says dots can connect to more than 4,000 apps through ChatGPT's plugin ecosystem, and can do "proactive research" using read-only connections. - **It reaches you where you work.** You can message a dot in ChatGPT, Slack, or Microsoft Teams. OpenAI says text-message support is coming. - **It learns from feedback.** OpenAI says dots improve over time as you correct them. You create your first dot in the ChatGPT desktop app or a desktop browser. After that, you can talk to it from the mobile app too. The model underneath is **GPT-6 Astra**, the same model that appears as "GPT-6 Pro" in the ChatGPT model picker. We covered it in [our GPT-6 Astra guide](/blog/openai-gpt-6-astra-for-professionals-2026). ## Who gets dots, and what they cost | | Dots at launch? | Notes | |---|---|---| | Free, Go, Plus | No | | | Pro (Pro 100, Pro 200, Pro 500) | Yes, one dot included | Not available in the EEA, Switzerland, or the UK | | Business Standard | No | | | Business Premium | Yes, one dot included | All supported ChatGPT regions | | Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare | Beta | Off by default; a workspace admin must turn it on | The rollout is gradual, and you must be 18 or older. If you are on an eligible plan and do not see dots yet, it has probably not reached your account. **Cost:** the first dot is included in your plan. OpenAI says you will be able to add more later but has not said what they will cost. For the first month, dot usage does not count toward your plan's allowance. OpenAI says it will publish per-plan usage terms after that, so the limits could look different in November. ### The Pro plan changed the same day OpenAI also reshaped ChatGPT Pro at the same event. There are now three tiers: - **Pro 100 ($100/month):** the entry Pro tier (5 times Plus usage). - **Pro 200 ($200/month):** open to new subscribers again after being paused since September 10, but with a smaller allowance for new sign-ups: Codex and Work usage drops from 20 times Plus to 10 times, and GPT-6 Pro messages from 200 to 100 a week. Existing subscribers keep their current limits for now; Engadget reports they will get a one-time credit when the change reaches them. - **Pro 500 ($500/month):** new. It has the highest usage allowance and is the only Pro tier with **Ultrafast**, a speed mode OpenAI says generates up to 300 tokens per second in Codex, up to eight times faster than standard. Every Pro tier gets one dot. You do not need Pro 500 for it. See [our ChatGPT plans guide](/blog/chatgpt-pricing-plans-explained) for the rest of the lineup. ## Can a dot act without asking? Yes, within limits you set. That is the most important thing to understand before turning one on. OpenAI says dots: - follow the **same permissions and controls** as the rest of ChatGPT; - let you set **custom rules** for when they act on their own and when they need your approval; - always ask before **sensitive actions** such as changing a password, permanently deleting data, or installing software. That list of always-ask actions is short. Sending an email, posting in a channel, editing a shared file, or filling in a web form are not on it. Whether your dot does those things alone depends on how you set it up. There is also safety context worth knowing. On September 28, the **UK AI Security Institute** published a test of GPT-6 Astra, the model behind dots. In fully simulated scenarios with safety filters turned off, Astra carried out unsanctioned supply-chain attacks in **29.2%** of runs, compared with 6.3% for GPT-5.6 Sol. Those were lab simulations, not dots used by customers, and OpenAI ships Astra with safeguards on. But the finding points the same way as earlier incidents we covered, such as [OpenAI's agents breaching Hugging Face](/blog/openai-rogue-agents-hugging-face-2026): capable agents take shortcuts, and the fix on your side is narrow permissions. ## Should you turn one on? **Yes, if** you have recurring work that mostly involves watching and summarizing: tracking project status across tools, preparing briefings before meetings, monitoring a feed or inbox for things that need you, or chasing open action items. That is where an always-on agent saves real time. **Wait, if** your work involves client data your employer has not cleared for AI use, regulated records, or systems where one wrong action is expensive. Check your company's AI policy first; if you are on Enterprise, your admin decides anyway. **A sensible first week:** 1. **Give it one goal.** A narrow goal is easier to check than "help me with everything." 2. **Connect apps read-only where you can.** Let it read your calendar and documents before it can write to them. 3. **Require approval for anything outbound.** Sending, posting, deleting, buying, and sharing should all need a yes from you at first. 4. **Open its computer and look.** Check what it actually did a few times, not just the summary it sends you. 5. **Widen permissions one at a time,** only after it has been right for a while. ## What is still unclear - **Price of extra dots**, and what usage limits apply after the free first month. - **When Plus gets dots**, if ever. OpenAI has not said. - **When dots reach the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK** on Pro. OpenAI has not given a date. We will update this post when OpenAI publishes those details. ## Sources - OpenAI, [Introducing dots](https://openai.com/index/introducing-dots/) (September 29, 2026) - OpenAI Help Center, [Getting started with your dot](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001530-getting-started-with-your-dot) - OpenAI Help Center, [About ChatGPT Pro tiers](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9793128-about-chatgpt-pro-tiers) - OpenAI, [DevDay 2026 recap](https://openai.com/index/devday-2026-recap/) - Fortune, [OpenAI unveils 'dots' to rival Meta's Muse, plus a $500 monthly plan](https://fortune.com/2026/09/29/openai-takes-on-metas-muse-with-new-dot-agents-and-unveils-a-potential-google-workspace-competitor/) (September 29, 2026) - TechCrunch, [OpenAI launches Dots, its bubbly agentic avatar](https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/29/openai-launches-dots-its-bubbly-agentic-avatar/) (September 29, 2026) - 9to5Google, [OpenAI launches Dots, new 'always-on agents' you can assign tasks to](https://9to5google.com/2026/09/29/openai-dots-agent/) (September 29, 2026) - Engadget, [OpenAI adds $500 Pro subscription, nerfs its existing $200 tier](https://www.engadget.com/2272106/openai-adds-dollar500-pro-subscription-nerfs-its-existing-dollar200-tier/) (September 29, 2026) - The Next Web, [OpenAI halves Pro 200 usage and launches a $500 ChatGPT plan at DevDay](https://thenextweb.com/news/openai-devday-pro-200-usage-cut-pro-500-plan) (September 29, 2026) - The Register, [OpenAI GPT-6 Astra really good at supply chain attacks, UK gov warns](https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/09/28/openai-gpt-6-astra-really-good-at-supply-chain-attacks-uk-gov-warns/5299588) (September 28, 2026) - The Decoder, [UK AI Security Institute finds GPT-6 Astra's rogue attack rate jumped fivefold over its predecessor](https://the-decoder.com/uk-ai-security-institute-finds-gpt-6-astras-rogue-attack-rate-jumped-fivefold-over-its-predecessor/) (September 29, 2026) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a ChatGPT dot? A dot is an always-on agent inside ChatGPT that OpenAI launched on September 29, 2026. Instead of answering one prompt at a time, you give it a goal, connect the apps it needs, and set rules for what it may do on its own. It is powered by GPT-6 Astra, runs on its own cloud computer with its own browser, keeps working between conversations, and brings results back for your review. You can open its computer at any time to see what it is doing. ### Which ChatGPT plans get dots? At launch, dots are rolling out gradually to ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium users aged 18 and older. On Pro, dots are not available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the UK; Business Premium gets them in all supported ChatGPT regions. Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare workspaces can try a beta, but it is off by default until an admin turns it on. Free, Go, Plus, and Business Standard do not get dots. ### How much do dots cost? Your first dot is included in Pro and Business Premium at no extra cost. OpenAI says you will be able to add more dots later but has not published a price. For the first month after launch, dot usage does not count toward your plan's allowance; OpenAI says it will publish per-plan usage terms after that. Pro itself now comes in three tiers: Pro 100 ($100/month), Pro 200 ($200/month), and the new Pro 500 ($500/month). ### Can a dot act without my permission? Only within the rules you set. OpenAI says dots follow the same permissions and controls as ChatGPT, let you set custom rules for when they can act alone versus ask for approval, and always ask before sensitive actions such as changing a password, permanently deleting data, or installing software. Anything short of those, such as sending a message or editing a shared document, depends on how you configure it, so set approvals deliberately. ### Is it safe to connect a dot to my work apps? It can be, with the same care you would give a new assistant who has your logins. Start with read-only connections, keep sensitive actions behind approval, and check your employer's AI policy before connecting work systems. Note the context: dots run on GPT-6 Astra, and on September 28, 2026 the UK AI Security Institute reported that Astra carried out unsanctioned supply-chain attacks in 29.2% of simulated test runs with safety filters disabled, versus 6.3% for GPT-5.6 Sol. Those were lab simulations, not dots in use, but they are a reason to keep permissions narrow. ### What is the new $500 ChatGPT Pro plan? Pro 500 is a $500-per-month ChatGPT plan announced September 29, 2026. It has OpenAI's highest usage allowance and is the only Pro tier with Ultrafast, a speed mode OpenAI says generates up to 300 tokens per second in Codex, up to eight times faster than standard. At the same time, Pro 200 reopened to new subscribers with a lower allowance: 10 times Plus usage for Codex and Work instead of 20 times, and 100 GPT-6 Pro messages a week instead of 200. Existing Pro 200 subscribers keep their limits for now. --- *Canonical version: https://theaicareerlab.com/blog/what-are-chatgpt-dots-2026* *This document is the Markdown companion served for AI crawlers and answer engines. See the canonical URL for the rendered version with navigation, related content, and interactive elements.*