Why does this matter?
So far, GenAI has been limited to chatbots, like having a highly knowledgeable person locked in a basement with access only to chat. Useful, but limited. AI agents change the game: they can interact with any digital system (Email, MS office, ERP, CRM, …).
To put it simply:
Chatbots = Remote advisors
Agents = Remote employees
OpenAI’s “Operator” is still an early research preview with many limitations (e.g. it runs only in a virtual browser, it is not allowed to use user+password information to login autonomously, …). But at the current pace, I expect many limitations gone in 2–3 months.
Implications for Businesses: I am convinced that any company which fails to implement this technology ASAP, will have zero chance to compete and is going out of business in the next 1-2 years.