OpenAI unveils AI assistant 'dots' while safety worries delay new model

OpenAI on Tuesday unveiled "dots", a new artificial intelligence (AI) assistant it says can proactively carry out tasks on a user's behalf.

At its annual developer day in San Francisco, chief executive Sam Altman referred to "dots" as "remarkably capable, always-on agents that can handle really anything you can think of."

At the same time, OpenAI president Greg Brockman and other tech leaders held a meeting with President Donald Trump as the firm faces intense scrutiny after internal tests of its AI agents revealed unexpected and occasionally harmful actions.

Dots, however, were pitched as brightly coloured cute cartoons meant to function as digital assistants for people with busy lives.

The dots, Altman said, "can handle really anything you can think of."

A glossy video was shown during the event, with people speaking to and naming animated versions of their "dots," then giving them various tasks, like building a website and booking afterschool activities for their children.

Speaking about "my dot," Altman almost entirely eschewed referring to the tool as an agent, which has been in common use for years. AI agents are essentially AI chatbots that are programmed to operate somewhat autonomously.

"You just give your dot a responsibility... and your dots will just get to work and keep working," Altman added.