Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™.
OpenAI has been the talk of the town ever since it released ChatGPT two years ago. Since then, the company has continued to showcase where it sees opportunities in artificial intelligence. In December, OpenAI held a 12-day event called 12 Days of OpenAI, a play on the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, in which each of the 12 days leading up to Christmas featured a new announcement. We all remember the lyric: “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me.”
The releases that captured the most attention during this period included ChatGPT Pro, which provided access to OpenAI’s latest models and tools for $200 a month; advancements on Sora, its tool that enables users to create images or videos via text; and 1-800-CHATGPT, a phone-accessible AI service that enhances accessibility, particularly for older generations. These 12 days made it clear that OpenAI wants AI to be seen as a partner in the human experience—essentially, a co-pilot to level up individuals’ lives.
By January, however, OpenAI had shifted from positioning AI as a partner to something that can operate independently. This was evident in the release of ChatGPT Operator and Deep Research, both of which have been praised by technologists. Like the tech giants of the past, OpenAI’s focus gives us insight into where the industry sees opportunities and how humans might spend their time when fewer tasks require manual effort. AI companies are betting big that people will pay a premium to reclaim their time, but I don’t believe the current offerings justify that bet.
This piece will explore OpenAI’s two new offerings, its bet on convenience, and why that may not be enough to cover the costs of developing AI.
ChatGPT Operator, released at the end of January, was widely embraced as the next step in AI’s evolution—not something that works with us, but something that works for us. It browses the web on a user’s behalf to complete tasks like booking a trip or ordering food. However, OpenAI was not the first to showcase the power of autonomous software, which Silicon Valley refers to as agents. Anthropic, their U.S.-based competitor, released its version of ChatGPT Operator in October—two months before OpenAI. With growing competition from DeepSeek overseas and Anthropic in its own backyard, OpenAI faces significant pressure. The company is betting that people will pay $200 a month for access to powerful AI tools and automation that handles their tasks. While this may increase the value of ChatGPT Pro for current subscribers, I don’t believe Operator will convince those who were already hesitant to spend $200 a month to take the plunge now.
This product type is designed for people who have more money than time. Given the current economic climate—rising layoffs in high-paying industries and wage stagnation—fewer people may be willing to spend $2,400 a year on AI services. When you’re used to handling mundane tasks yourself, the price of outsourcing them looks a lot steeper.
Deep Research, also released this year, continues OpenAI’s push toward AI autonomy but with a more targeted audience. It is designed for professionals who conduct extensive research, such as financial analysts or scientists. These fields require compiling, analyzing, and synthesizing large amounts of information into reports. Unlike ChatGPT Pro, Deep Research is only offered through Plus and Teams, positioning it as a tool for organizations rather than individuals. This reminds me of the Bloomberg Terminal, which financial professionals use for market research. Targeting firms that have more money than time is a more viable way to justify the high costs of AI development.
OpenAI continues to push toward a future where people do less of what they have to do and more of what they want to do. But given the premium cost of AI and the backgrounds of those developing it, I see it changing how certain people work rather than how everyone lives.
For AI’s value to be more evenly distributed, we need a broader perspective on its potential applications. That only comes from diverse backgrounds and experiences leveraging the technology. There is more financial and social value in using AI to change how everyday people live rather than just optimizing how white-collar workers operate—at least in my opinion.
