OpenAI is now shifting its strategy toward specialized agents, such as a shopping agent for product recommendations, The Information reports. These more focused tools are easier for users to understand, and they allow product teams to build fewer features, resulting in better performance and usability.

The generic name “ChatGPT Agent” was also inherently confusing. All of OpenAI’s reasoning models already operate in an agent-like manner — writing code, autonomously browsing the web, and analyzing images. The “ChatGPT Agent” merely added the option to use a virtual browser, yet its branding implied that only this mode was agentic. This was inconsistent with OpenAI’s own prior positioning, in which tools like Deep Research were also described as AI agents.

Conclusion:

The move highlights a broader shift in AI product strategy: away from vague, all-in-one agents toward narrowly focused tools with clear value propositions. Specialized agents may prove more practical, scalable, and commercially viable than generic AI assistants.