OpenAI appears to have grand visions for ChatGPT as an everyday essential for users. This is all part of a larger strategy that has been detailed in an internal document that was recently made public.
The document was disclosed as part of the legal discovery process in the antitrust search remedies case between Google and the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The confidential roadmap suggests that the AI startup aims to build ChatGPT as an ‘intuitive AI super assistant’ that can manage tasks and take actions on behalf of the user. In simple words, OpenAI plans to transform ChatGPT into a ‘super assistant’ that can move seamlessly between channels, acting as a personalised gateway to the internet.
The document envisions ChatGPT as evolving into a full-spectrum operator, meaning it manages calendars, does travel booking, navigates software, and even contacts professionals on the user’s behalf. The Sam Altman-led AI startup has reportedly described its plan for ChatGPT as an intelligent entity with T-shaped skills.
“It’s an entity because it’s personalised to you and available anywhere you go – including chatgpt.com, our native apps, phones, email, or third-party surfaces like Siri. It’s T-shaped because it has broad skills for daily tasks that are tedious and deep expertise for tasks that most people find impossible (starting with coding). The broad part is all about making life easier: answering a question, finding a home, contacting a lawyer, joining a gym, planning vacations, buying gifts, managing calendars, keeping track of to-dos, and sending emails,” an excerpt from the document reads.
On the technical side, OpenAI is relying on AI reasoning models like o3, which, according to the document, is smart enough to reliably perform agentic tasks. Moreover, it has plans to deploy additional features such as Computer Use, which will expand ChatGPT’s ability to take direct actions.
Another key part of the strategy seems to be the development of a dedicated search index. “To fully be that interface, we need a search index and the ability to take actions on the web.” OpenAI may roll out this feature in the second half of 2025; however, there are not many details.
It is not a search engine or a browser
OpenAI seems to be treading carefully, as it does not want ChatGPT to be seen as a product such as a search engine, operating system or even a browser. Based on the document, the company aims to establish a new category of personal AI agents that guides users through their digital needs. The company appears to want ChatGPT to be the main entry point for daily digital life.
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“Now we’re up against search engines, browsers, even interactions with real people. This one isn’t a head-on match. It’s about solving more and more use cases and gradually pulling users in. That’s why we don’t call our product a search engine, a browser, or an OS – it’s just ChatGPT,” read the document.
In the document, the company also breaks down its competition into two groups. In the short term, its rivals include other popular chatbots such as Claude, Gemini, or Copilot. However, in the broader sense, it considers traditional search engines, browsers, and even interactions with real people as its competitors.
It also describes one of its competitors, which is redacted from the document, as especially threatening, as it can embed its own AI systems into products without worrying about business model manipulation. OpenAI has also listed several strategic advantages it has over its peers. The company believes it has got everything it needs to win, such as one of the fastest-growing products of all time, a category-defining brand, a research lead, a compute lead, a world-class research team, and an increasing number of effective people with agency who are motivated.
“We don’t rely on ads, giving us flexibility on what to build. Our culture values speed, bold moves, and self-disruption. Maintaining these advantages is hard work, but, if we do, they will last for a while,” the document reads.
