OpenAI executives have talked about next-generation AI on several occasions and often compared its intelligence to that of a graduate or PhD level human. It was previously speculated that OpenAI’s GPT5 would be announced next. However, reports now suggest that the company is working on an AI super-agent, and it could be released as early as January 30. There is also a new report from Axios that claims OpenAI is meeting with US government officials regarding the launch.

But what does PhD level intelligence mean for an AI agent? And what is an AI agent?

An AI agent is a sophisticated software system that can perform complex tasks on its own with minimal human supervision. It can make decisions on your behalf, adapt and respond to different situations, analyze large amounts of data and multiple options. It is basically able to mimic human intelligence when you give it a goal-oriented task. And reports suggest that the AI ​​super agent that OpenAI is working on will be able to solve complex problems with the efficiency of a doctoral graduate.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is also expected to talk about the impact of AI on economic growth in a reported meeting with US government officials. This is in line with the blueprint that OpenAI recently shared that calls for integrating artificial intelligence software systems into the US economy.

Meanwhile, the Axios report also claims that with the rapid development in AI systems, some OpenAI employees are concerned about the issues that could come with advancements in AI by the company.

Although the timeline for the launch of the AI ​​​​super agent is new, it is not the first time we have heard about it. There has been speculation about an agent called “Operator” that OpenAI might work on. Reports suggest that the AI ​​tool will be able to perform multiple tasks on behalf of the user like writing code or booking a flight or researching a topic, or any other complex task that requires multiple actions.

The timing of the aforementioned OpenAI AI super agent or operator is interesting because it comes after a personal blog post by company CEO Sam Altman where he talked at length about humanity stepping into the “Intelligence Age.” In a more recent post, Altman also wrote about AI agents joining the workforce in 2025. “We believe that in 2025 we could see the first AI agents join the workforce and significantly change companies’ output,” Altman wrote.