OpenAI gives Dots agents colorful character avatars
OpenAI’s new Dots agents come with named, character-like visual identities less than a week after Meta introduced Jolly for Muse.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
OpenAI Dots character avatars are part of the company’s new always-on AI-agent rollout, pairing its software with colorful visual identities including Iggy, Felipe, Todd, Alfred and Jojo.
OpenAI announced Dots on September 29 and says users can name a primary Dot and make it their own. Its launch material shows five character-like examples in pink, blue, green, yellow and purple, each tied to a different workplace scenario.
Mashable reported that the designs include details such as glasses, headphones and a bow tie. The publication also reported that Meta introduced Jolly, a cheerful mascot for its Muse AI assistant, less than a week before OpenAI’s Dots announcement.
The timing makes for a neat visual overlap, but the available reporting does not establish that OpenAI designed Dots in response to Meta or that the companies are directly competing on mascots.
What are OpenAI Dots character avatars for?
Dots are AI agents, not mascots in OpenAI’s terminology. The company says a Dot is intended to learn a user’s preferences from feedback, work toward their goals continuously and use its own cloud computer, browser and connected apps.
OpenAI says users can contact their Dot through ChatGPT, Slack and Teams, including through voice calls. The company says its plugin ecosystem can connect Dots to more than 4,000 apps.
The named examples show the range of tasks OpenAI says it wants Dots to handle. Iggy is shown helping a developer turn customer feedback into tested fixes. Felipe is linked to revising launch materials, Todd to scientific analysis, Alfred to an enterprise proposal and Jojo to creator content work.
Those are OpenAI’s product examples, rather than independently verified performance results.
Who can use Dots first?
OpenAI says it has begun rolling out Dots to Pro, Business Premium and Enterprise subscribers in eligible markets, with plans to expand availability. It also says it is previewing specialist Dots for responsibilities such as access management, company-provided hardware and integrations with organizations’ internal systems.
Users can inspect a Dot’s computer while it works, OpenAI says. According to Mashable, OpenAI also says users choose which apps a Dot may access and can set rules for when it can act on its own or must seek approval.
OpenAI says Dots can make mistakes and advises users to review consequential work. Its pitch is an agent that can keep several projects moving while a user checks in through the channels they already use.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.