OpenAI has introduced “Tasks,” a new beta feature for ChatGPT that allows users to schedule future actions and reminders. This update, which began rolling out to Plus, Team, and Pro subscribers on January 14, 2025, marks a significant step towards evolving ChatGPT from a conversational tool into a more comprehensive digital assistant, akin to Google Assistant or Apple‘s Siri, but with the added layer of advanced textual and contextual understanding.

The Tasks feature essentially bridges the gap between traditional digital assistants and the innovative capabilities of large language models like ChatGPT. Users can now set up reminders for one-time events, like reminding them when their passport is due for renewal, or schedule recurring tasks. Imagine getting a daily weather update at 7 am, or having ChatGPT deliver a knock-knock joke to your kids every night before bed.

To engage with Tasks, subscribers must switch to the “4o with scheduled tasks” model within ChatGPT’s interface. Here, you can articulate what you want done and specify the timing. The AI can even suggest tasks based on your previous interactions, although these suggestions require user approval before being enacted.

Once set, tasks can be managed through direct chat threads or via a dedicated “Tasks” tab found in the profile menu on the web version of ChatGPT. This tab allows users to tweak, cancel, or monitor their scheduled tasks. Upon task completion, users receive notifications across web, desktop, and mobile platforms, ensuring they’re never out of the loop. However, there’s a cap set at 10 active tasks at any given time, which might be a limitation for power users but is likely in place to manage system load and user experience.

While the feature is currently exclusive to paying users, there’s no clear timeline on whether or when it might become available to free users. This exclusivity could be part of OpenAI’s strategy to drive premium subscriptions, especially with the introduction of different pricing tiers, including a $20 monthly plan and a more premium $200 option.

This new capability signifies a broader shift in ChatGPT’s functionality. Previously, ChatGPT was confined to real-time interactions, answering queries as they came. With Tasks, the AI can now look ahead, plan, and manage future activities, stepping into the realm of personal productivity tools. This development hints at OpenAI’s vision to expand ChatGPT’s role, potentially integrating more agent-like behaviors where the AI can act independently on behalf of the user.

Introducing Tasks could invite comparisons to existing AI assistants but with a twist. ChatGPT’s strength lies in its language processing and contextual understanding, which could make it more adept at handling complex, text-based tasks or providing more personalized interactions based on past conversations.

For now, OpenAI’s Tasks in ChatGPT is a peek into a future where AI not only converses but also schedules, manages, and perhaps one day, anticipates our needs before we even voice them.