OpenAI launches Scheduled Tasks in ChatGPT

OpenAI has rolled out Scheduled Tasks in ChatGPT, a feature that turns the assistant from a reactive chatbot into a proactive agent that can act on a recurring schedule. Users can ask ChatGPT to send reminders, monitor information sources, or handle repeating workflows—and a new 'Scheduled' page in the sidebar serves as a control center to view, pause, resume, edit, or delete each active task.

Mechanically, the feature lets ChatGPT perform actions on a cadence the user defines: running web searches, checking connected apps for relevant changes, and delivering notifications when something noteworthy happens. OpenAI says the update makes tasks faster and more reliable, with more useful notifications than earlier reminder-style features. It fits squarely into 2026's dominant product theme—the shift from single-turn chat to persistent, agentic assistants that work in the background.

The move directly mirrors competitors. Google's Gemini agents have been pitched as running overnight research while users sleep, and Microsoft's Copilot Cowork now markets long-running agents for multi-step work. Scheduled Tasks is OpenAI's bid to keep pace on the 'set it and forget it' agent experience, deepening user reliance on ChatGPT as an always-on tool rather than a destination users must open.

The caveat is reliability and trust: proactive agents that check apps and send notifications raise questions about accuracy, notification fatigue, and what data the assistant accesses on a schedule. For a feature designed to run unattended, errors compound silently. Still, as a productivity hook it strengthens daily engagement—exactly what OpenAI needs as its market share dips below 50%. Watch for how scheduled-task limits, pricing tiers, and connected-app integrations evolve.