ChatGPT Tasks: New Automation Features from OpenAI

Last week, OpenAI introduced "Tasks," a powerful feature that enables ChatGPT users to automate repetitive actions through pre-configured prompts. Currently it is available on Plus, Pro, and Team plans.

What are Tasks?

Tasks allow you to set up automated actions on a schedule. You can create both one-time and recurring tasks, and once each task is completed you'll receive email notifications. For example, you could set up daily news summaries or market analysis reports - just write the prompt once, and ChatGPT will execute it automatically at your specified times.

How to use Tasks

Setting up a task

To open your scheduled tasks, click on your profile icon and click on Tasks in the pop-up menu.

You can select one of our suggested tasks or click on Try your own to set up a scheduled task:

To create a new task, simply ask ChatGPT directly. First, select "ChatGPT with scheduled tasks" from the dropdown menu at the top of the screen. Then type your request, such as "Remind me about my mom's birthday on March 13th".

After submitting your task, ChatGPT will provide a confirmation:

For more detailed instructions check openAI's help page - https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10291617-scheduled-tasks-in-chatgpt

Current Capabilities and Limitations

The feature currently has several key characteristics:

Maximum of 10 active tasks per user

ChatGPT doesn't retain memory of previously completed tasks

Currently limited to basic functions: information retrieval, report generation, and simple query execution

Practical Applications

Tasks can be particularly valuable for:

Market Analysis: Receiving daily trend reports and insights
News Monitoring: Automated summaries of important events
Report Generation: Weekly or monthly project updates
Content Creation: Scheduled content ideas and drafts
Data Analysis: Regular processing of metrics and statistics

Future Enhancements

OpenAI has announced plans to introduce:

Integration with calendars, email, and other productivity services
Memory retention of previous task results
Increased task limits for specific subscription tiers
Extended support for external data sources using the RAG approach
Enhanced capability to work with third-party documents

What’s new?

While task automation isn't new, with solutions like:

Unix cron jobs for scheduled script execution
Windows Task Scheduler for automated program launches
Automation services like Zapier or IFTTT

The key difference is accessibility. Traditional automation tools required technical expertise - programming knowledge, scripting abilities, or system administration skills.

ChatGPT Tasks helps with automation by making it available to everyone through natural language interactions. If you can chat with ChatGPT, you can now set up automated workflows.

Future Outlook

Tasks represents a significant step toward more intelligent yet simple automation systems. Despite current limitations, it's already proving valuable for reducing time spent on routine tasks. As the feature evolves, it's likely to become an indispensable tool for daily work.

Competition in this space is inevitable. We can expect similar features from other AI companies like Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini), and others. Additionally, specialized services focused on AI-powered automation are likely to emerge soon, expanding the possibilities for users across different platforms and use cases.