OpenAI's Thibault Sottiaux on ChatGPT Work, AI Agents, and the Future of Work

In an interview with TechCrunch, Thibault Sottiaux, OpenAI's head of core products, discusses the company's strategy for bringing AI agents to a broad audience through ChatGPT Work, a platform for white-collar workers. Sottiaux, who reports to Greg Brockman, explains that ChatGPT Work aims to package the power of coding agents into a safe, delightful, and accessible product, available on mobile and web, and included in the $20-per-month Plus plan. He emphasizes OpenAI's mission to democratize AI, noting the company's role in diffusing technology from a technical audience to the general public. Sottiaux highlights the importance of minimal product design, allowing models to express themselves naturally, and points to the success of ChatGPT Voice. He addresses concerns about cost and safety, mentioning that OpenAI has announced major price cuts with Luna (80% off) and invests heavily in safety measures. He also reveals that ChatGPT Work has hit 20 million users. The interview covers topics such as discovery as a product design philosophy, the transition from human-led to model-led tasks, and the economic motivations behind OpenAI's application strategy. Sottiaux also discusses the iterative deployment of capabilities, citing GPT-5.6 as a step up in general work, and reassures users about the safety of granting AI access to personal data.