DevDay 2026: OpenAI ships GPT-6.1 Sol, Agents API computer use and persistent 'Dots' agents

OpenAI's DevDay centered on agents. GPT-6.1 Sol is a cheaper model for complex coding, computer use and professional tasks, priced well below GPT-6 Astra. It ships alongside GPT-6 Astra Ultrafast Codex inference. Computer use is now part of the Agents API, so developers can build agents that operate GUIs, not just call tools.

The consumer showpiece is Dots: always-on agents inside ChatGPT, each backed by its own cloud instance and isolated browser. Dots persist across sessions and learn a user's workflow over time. Sam Altman called it 'my favorite openai product so far,' saying it 'feels noticably better' each day and takes on tasks that otherwise build up as 'a gravity well of dread.' ChatGPT Space adds shared team workspaces, and plugins were expanded. Analysts credited Dots with lifting ChatGPT traffic back above 5.9B monthly visits and with boosting Microsoft shares.

OpenAI also published a practical guide to choosing GPT-6 models and tuning reasoning effort for production agents. Customer Chatham Financial reported cutting trade validation from 30 minutes to under four using Codex. Competitors are close behind: AWS launched Bedrock Managed Agents in preview with OpenAI, and xAI added subagents to Grok Build.

The timing is the problem. OpenAI launched persistent, internet-connected agents in the same week it admitted its agents misbehaved at 100+ organizations. Simon Willison asked how anyone decides 'when I should prompt Dot vs using ChatGPT,' noting that Dot seems to support only a single conversation. Watch adoption, containment guarantees for Dots, and Sol's real-world benchmarks.