OpenAI launched its new ChatGPT Atlas browser about a week ago. It’s not the first agent-focused browser to hit the market — but it might be the most accessible one so far.
But first, let’s unpack what an agent-based browser actually is.
An agent is basically an AI tool that does things for you. There are platforms like n8n, for example, that let you build entire agent workflows to automate just about anything in your business.
ChatGPT itself has had an Agent Mode for a while now, which lets you instruct it to perform tasks — not just answer questions. But their new browser, Atlas, takes that concept a big step further.
Here’s a simple example of what I asked it to do.
I had a finance meeting later in the day and needed a quick update on where we stood with the numbers. So I told Atlas to log into Xero, pull the reports I’d need, and present the data back to me in a clear, easy-to-digest format.
Atlas launched Xero and stopped at the login screen, asking me to log in (so your credentials are never passed to ChatGPT). Once I did, it took over — while I went off to message a few people.
When I came back a few minutes later, it had gathered data from a dozen different reports and compiled a straightforward financial summary I could review before my meeting.
That got me thinking: what else could this do?
If Atlas can handle logins, how much repetitive work could we now automate? How many “rinse and repeat” tasks could we hand off entirely?
Even the small stuff — like “log into my Gmail account, find all the emails related to X, and give me a summary of what I need to know” — could be automated.
We’re entering a phase where a lot of the work humans usually do can be delegated to intelligent agents, freeing people up to focus on the things that actually require intelligence, creativity, and strategy.