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Critics of AI Agents Are Missing the Technology’s True Killer App
Agents will solve the “last mile” problem for AI — and make a killing doing it
In January, OpenAI announced that it would release its new “Operator” platform to select users.
Operator is OpenAI’s platform for AI agents, which are currently the hottest new thing in AI.
The basic concept is that instead of AI simply taking in queries or prompts and returning information, AI models like OpenAI’s o1 or Anthropic’s Claude would be able to actually perform real-world tasks for the user.
Rather than simply asking for restaurant recommendations in your town, for example, you could have an AI agent like Operator research great places, read reviews, and then book a reservation for you.
So far, many early testers of the Operator technology have found themselves underwhelmed. Some are saying that the potential of AI agents is overblown.
I disagree. These reviews miss the true capability of the technology. When people begin using AI agents for their real killer app, the value they unlock will be tremendous.
