OpenAI's new Dot agent is gated to top-tier plans and keeps tripping on security checks
Dot is positioned as paid workplace software against free rivals, but hands-on testing shows frequent security-check blocks on personal tasks.
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OpenAI's Dot agent is rolling out first to its highest-tier subscribers, and hands-on testing shows it repeatedly getting stuck on human-verification checks and blocked websites.
The Verge senior reviewer Allison Johnson published her hands-on on October 2: Dot runs on a cloud virtual machine with immediate access to apps like Blender and GIMP, and can also take over the user's own computer through the desktop ChatGPT app. OpenAI is offering it first to top-tier accounts including the $100-per-month Pro plan, while Meta's Muse and Instinct cost nothing for now.
Results were mixed. Scheduling an internet installation, Dot stalled at a press-and-hold human check and found no Stripe-style card integration at checkout; retrieving an Ikea order, it looped on a security check; a local restaurant's ordering site blocked its cloud browser outright. Johnson notes Dot trips on security checks more often than Muse or Instinct, and OpenAI hosts a page explaining why websites block its browser traffic. Dot performed best on a fully controllable task: redesigning the reviewer's own personal website.