When OpenAI announced Operator this week a ChatGPT-powered AI that can supposedly autonomously book flights, shop online, and manage your life, I immediately envisioned Jarvis from Iron Man casually ordering me artisanal croissants while I nap. Instead, after using it for a few hours, I feel like I just watched a self-driving car get confused by a stop sign. It’s… adorably underwhelming.
The Hype vs. The Reality
Operator’s core pitch is seductive: an AI that can take over tedious digital tasks by using a web browser to do things like a human would. But right now? It’s less Tony Stark’s butler and more that one coworker who takes 45 minutes to figure out how to mute themselves on Zoom.
Let’s break down why:
1. User Experience: Sloth Mode Activated
Operator operates at the speed of bureaucracy. Need to book a flight? Strap in for a 17-step waltz where the AI pauses for 1-2 seconds between every. Single. Click. At this pace, it’d take longer to reserve a Priceline hotel room than actually to drive there. Even OpenAI admits it’s got the reflexes of a sedated sloth, blaming safety checks for the glacial pace. Translation: We don’t trust this thing either.
And don’t get me started on its browser. Operator can’t use your browser, nope, you get a stripped-down ChatGPT-branded window that forgets your logins every time you close it. Want to order DoorDash? Better re-enter your password… every… single… session. So much for autonomy.
2. The Broken Promises: ‘Do Anything (Except Anything Useful)’
Operator’s limitations read like a Terms of Service designed by a paranoid lawyer. Can’t send emails. Can’t delete calendar events. Can’t handle money. Oh, and if it encounters a website that’s slightly complex (read: anything beyond a 2008-era HTML form), it throws up its digital hands and whimpers for human help.
OpenAI’s stats tell the story:
- 60% success rate on basic cloud provider tasks
- 10% success rate on creating a Bitcoin wallet (so much for web3 dreams)
- Blocks itself from Reddit, YouTube, and Figma because apparently, even AI fears the comment section
It’s like having a self-driving car that only works in parking lots… and even then, only if you’re okay with it sideswiping a few shopping carts.
3. The Brain Gaps: GPT-4o’s Midlife Crisis
Operator’s advanced reasoning has some glaring blind spots. It hallucinates like a caffeinated conspiracy theorist, struggles to read basic text, and once reportedly spent 12 minutes trying to click an unclickable button. One tester joked it mistook an API key field for a Sudoku puzzle.
The security features are equally laughable. Operator will pause and ask, “Should I really submit this form?”, which is like a self-checkout machine stopping you to ask, “Are you sure you want to buy that kale?” Meanwhile, it’s blocked from anything mildly risky… which, in 2025, is most of the internet.
4. The ‘Pro’ Price Tag: $200/Month for a Beta
Let’s not gloss over the elephant in the room: this is a $200/month research preview (read: glorified beta test) only available in the U.S. to users over 18. You’re paying Tesla Full Self-Driving money for a Roomba that occasionally forgets how to vacuum.
The Silver Lining? Maybe.
Operator isn’t all smoke and mirrors. When it works, simple form fillings, reordering the same groceries—it’s a glimmer of something potentially transformative. The partnerships with Uber and DoorDash hint at a future where AIs could genuinely handle recurring chores. And the promise of API access could let developers patch some of its gaps.
But let’s call this what it is: a tech demo that can do things slower than any human could following the same steps. Operator doesn’t solve digital tedium—it just hands you a shinier shovel to dig through it. It’s still a glimpse of an AI-agent-led future, but it’s very much a research preview with a lot of limitations.
OpenAI’s Operator is the Segway of AI agents: a flashy, futuristic and awkward demo. Sure, version 2.0 might be amazing. But for now? Save your $200 and stick with bookmarks. Or, you know, open a browser tab like a peasant and order your own food.