US-based OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, says it is launching an AI agent that can take control of a browser and automate tasks such as booking restaurants and other facilities.

The AI agent named "Operator" was released on Thursday. It requires minimal instructions.

For example, by typing "Find me a family-friendly campsite this weekend," the system will independently search the web for locations and available dates and time, and proceed to make reservations with a simple command.

This service is currently a research preview that is offered only to some ChatGPT subscribers in the United States. The company plans to eventually make the service available more widely, including to users in other countries.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a video message that functions like these will be a big trend in AI that will "really impact the work people can do, how productive they can be, how creative they can be, what they can accomplish."

Competition in the field of such AI agents is intensifying, as US tech giant Google and AI startup Anthropic have also invested in developing them. But there is also much debate over the safety of allowing AI to make decisions.