FILE PHOTO: OpenAI introduced a beta feature called Tasks to ChatGPT, signaling the company’s foray into the virtual assistant space.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Generative artificial intelligence bellwether OpenAI said on Tuesday that it is introducing a beta feature called Tasks to ChatGPT, signaling the company’s foray into the virtual assistant space, competing with Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa.

Tasks will enable ChatGPT users to request tasks to be performed at a future time, including one-time reminders such as concert ticket sales or recurring actions like weekly news briefings or daily weather updates.

Based on user chats, ChatGPT may also suggest tasks, although users will have the option to accept or decline them.

The release of ChatGPT in late 2022 sparked a frenzy of investment in AI firms, prompting Amazon to update its decade-old, money-losing Alexa service with GenAI capabilities to remain competitive with GenAI-powered chatbots.

In December last year, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said that the revamped version of Alexa—which will take actions for users without prompting—is slated to be released in the “coming months”.

Meanwhile, Apple has integrated its “Apple Intelligence” technology into Siri, leveraging ChatGPT’s expertise and seeking permission from users before querying the OpenAI service as part of Apple’s tie-up with the Microsoft-backed startup.

OpenAI said that it will start rolling out the beta to Plus, Team, and Pro users globally over the next few days, beginning with the web platform.