OpenAI’s Operator Analysed by ELEKS’ Director of Architecture and Technology

OpenAI introduced Operator on January 23, 2025. This AI-powered agent can handle complex web-based activities, from browsing to typing, and perform the tasks for users. It's another milestone in AI development, which brings us closer to delegative AI assistance.

To better understand the implications and capabilities of this solution, we spoke with Sergii Bataiev, Director of Architecture and Technology at ELEKS.

What are your thoughts on OpenAI's Operator?

The initial release of OpenAI's Operator demonstrates significant potential despite its beta limitations. The autonomous task execution capability represents a notable advancement in AI assistance, particularly in data gathering and automated content generation workflows.

What are its key technical implementation details?

Firstly, its autonomous browsing functionality proves effective for complex research tasks and automated content generation. The system operates in the background with a push notification system, demonstrating thoughtful UX design.

Additionally, the system is designed to act as an experienced computer user, leveraging a prompt engineering approach that simulates 20 years of computing expertise when handling tasks. This allows it to better understand and execute complex computer operations as a knowledgeable remote coworker would.

And what can you say about its current limitations?

The system's ability to generate responses considering the context is a little bit limited. We're also seeing some efficiency issues, such as when execution of basic operations can take longer than expected. Additionally, frequent user confirmation requests suggest conservative safety protocols.

What is the most significant technological aspect that distinguishes OpenAI's Operator?

Cross-platform availability, particularly mobile integration, positions the Operator as a potential market disruptor by providing desktop-grade browsing capabilities in a mobile environment.