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OpenAI launches 'dots,' an always-on AI agent, at DevDay conference

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 12 outlets across the spectrum.

19 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman unveiled a new AI agent called “dots” at the company’s DevDay conference in San Francisco, describing it as an “always-on” assistant capable of handling tasks like scheduling, travel booking, email, research and coding. The launch comes as OpenAI competes with Meta’s Muse and Google’s Gemini Spark in the emerging market for personal AI agents. Dots will initially be available through OpenAI’s Pro, Business and Enterprise plans, with executives saying they eventually want to expand access to its full consumer base of 1.2 billion users. The announcement followed reports that OpenAI had delayed or halted rollout of a more advanced model over safety or security concerns, and some outlets noted a recent incident involving OpenAI’s AI agents.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. OpenAI unveiled an AI agent called 'dots' at its DevDay conference in San Francisco, described as 'always-on' and capable of tasks like scheduling, travel, email and coding.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. Dots is positioned as a competitor to Meta's Muse and Google's Gemini Spark in the personal AI agent market.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. Dots will initially launch on OpenAI's Pro, Business and Enterprise plans, with plans to eventually expand to all users.

    Reported byLeftCenter

  4. OpenAI delayed or halted the rollout of a more advanced model over safety or security concerns around the same time as the dots launch.

    Reported byCenterRight

  5. The launch came a day after OpenAI apologized for an incident involving its AI bots, described by some outlets as a hack or probing of government sites.

    Reported byLeftRight

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. OpenAI introduced new pricing tiers, including a new $500-per-month plan, alongside the dots launch.

    Reported byCenter

  2. Altman said OpenAI will delay its IPO until it resolves safety concerns.

    Reported byCenter

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The nature and severity of the security/safety incident preceding the dots launch.

    The Washington Times and Daily Caller describe it as OpenAI's AI models having 'probed government sites' or the company halting a model over 'security concerns,' while NBC News frames it as OpenAI 'apologizing for a hack by its bots.' The exact nature of the incident is described differently across outlets.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    5 outlets

    Left-leaning outlets mostly describe the dots launch straightforwardly, with some noting pricing strategy or linking it to a recent security incident.

    Personal agents are AI companies' best shot at keeping you faithful
    Business InsiderLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    5 outlets

    Center outlets frame the launch as part of a broader competitive battle in AI agents, with some tying it to safety delays, IPO plans, or compute cost pressures.

    OpenAI follows Meta into the Sensational language“red-hot market”Describes the market with dramatic intensity rather than a neutral descriptor.More neutral: growing marketDisagree with this highlight? for personal agents. But will users pay?
    CNBCCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    2 outlets

    Right-leaning outlets emphasize the timing of the launch relative to security concerns and a reported incident involving government site probing.

    OpenAI Launches ‘Always-On’ Agents Days After Its Models Probed Government Sites
    The Daily CallerFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left3

    barrage of controversygone roguestorm of controversy

  • Center4

    blockbuster releasered-hot marketstole much of the spotlighteye-popping

  • Right1

    gone rogue

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    gone rogueMore neutral: acted beyond their instructions

    Describes AI agents acting beyond instructions in dramatic terms rather than stating specifically what occurred.

    An artificial intelligence company with agents that have recently gone rogue now has a new batch that can work for you nonstop.

    Used byThe Daily Caller (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    barrage of controversyMore neutral: recent criticism

    Frames the surrounding events with dramatic intensity rather than describing specific incidents.

    OpenAI announced its new AI agent product “dots,” amid a barrage of controversy over AI agents that had gone rogue.

    Used byNBC News (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    gone rogueMore neutral: acted beyond their instructions

    Characterizes AI agents’ behavior in dramatic terms rather than describing the specific actions taken.

    …new AI agent product “dots,” amid a barrage of controversy over AI agents that had gone rogue.

    Used byNBC News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    storm of controversyMore neutral: recent criticism

    Uses dramatic metaphor to characterize the situation rather than stating the specific criticism.

    SAN FRANCISCO — Leading AI company OpenAI tried to navigate through a storm of controversy on a cloudless San Francisco Tuesday, touting a new wave of products and tools…

    Used byNBC News (Left)

Show 4 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    blockbuster releaseMore neutral: major release

    Characterizes the release with hyped language rather than neutral description.

    Following Meta's blockbuster release of its Muse AI agent earlier this month, OpenAI jumped into the personal agent…

    Used byCNBC (Center)

  • Sensational language

    red-hot marketMore neutral: growing market

    Describes the market with dramatic intensity rather than a neutral descriptor.

    OpenAI follows Meta into the red-hot market for personal agents.

    Used byCNBC (Center)

  • Sensational language

    stole much of the spotlightMore neutral: drew significant attention

    Dramatizes the product's reception rather than stating it neutrally.

    While OpenAI’s new tool, dots, stole much of the spotlight at its annual developer day Tuesday, it was the change to its pricing tiers…

    Used bySemafor (Center)

  • Sensational language

    eye-poppingMore neutral: notably high

    Adds dramatic emphasis to the price rather than stating it neutrally.

    And there’s now an eye-popping $500-per-month plan that makes the price of diesel these days seem like nothing.

    Used bySemafor (Center)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

5 outlets

Leads with

  • product capabilities and features
  • pricing and business strategy
  • competition with Meta and Google

Leaves out

  • delayed IPO over safety concerns
  • new pricing tiers beyond premium framing

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 5 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

5 outlets

Leads with

  • market competition with Meta's Muse and Google's Gemini Spark
  • safety and security concerns delaying other products
  • business and pricing implications, including compute costs

Leaves out

  • the hack/apology incident described by left and right outlets

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 5 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

2 outlets

Leads with

  • security and safety concerns
  • timing relative to halted model rollout
  • framing dots launch against a backdrop of controversy

Leaves out

  • pricing tier details
  • competition with Google's Gemini Spark

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    Business Insider, Sep 29, 1:15 PM EDT

  • Center

    1 min later

    Its first report, Sep 29, 1:15 PM EDT

  • Right

    3 hr 47 min later

    Its first report, Sep 29, 5:02 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Business InsiderLeftSep 29, 1:15 PM EDT
  2. SemaforCenterSep 29, 1:15 PM EDT
  3. CBS NewsLeftSep 29, 2:10 PM EDT
  4. MarketWatchCenterSep 29, 2:34 PM EDT
  5. BBC NewsCenterSep 29, 3:17 PM EDT
  6. The Washington TimesRightSep 29, 5:02 PM EDT
  7. The Daily CallerFar RightSep 29, 5:25 PM EDT
  8. Financial TimesCenterSep 29, 5:56 PM EDT
  9. BloombergLeftSep 29, 6:02 PM EDT
  10. NBC NewsLeftSep 29, 7:03 PM EDT
  11. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftSep 30, 2:29 AM EDT
  12. CNBCCenterSep 30, 8:04 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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