Capability 09
An agent that works through a job on its own.
Exact name Multi-step autonomous runner
Step 04 · Let it workWhat it is.
You give it a goal, and it works out the steps and carries them out: searching, opening files, writing, sometimes using a computer of its own. How often it stops to check with you depends on the tool and how it's set up. You come back to a finished piece of work, or a question.
What your tool calls it.
- ChatGPT Work: An agent mode for longer, multi-step jobs. It works across connected apps and files and produces documents, sheets and slides. In the desktop app it can also use local files.
- dots: An always-on personal agent with its own cloud computer. It works across apps you connect and keeps going between conversations.
Also at ChatGPT: Codex
- Claude Cowork: Claude's mode for handing over bigger multi-step jobs such as reports, spreadsheets and presentations. It now runs on desktop, web and mobile, and is being folded into ordinary chat.
- computer use: Lets Claude open files, run tools, and point, click and move around your screen to do tasks itself.
- Dispatch: One ongoing thread, reachable from desktop or phone, for handing tasks to Cowork. With computer use it can work on your computer while you're away.
- Claude Duet: A separate app where Claude acts on its own initiative. It flags what needs your attention, does tasks, keeps working in the background and checks with you before acting on your behalf.
Also at Claude: Claude in Chromebeta
- Task: A mode where you hand Gemini a goal. It works through steps using apps, a browser and a remote computer, and stops to ask before sensitive actions. Up to 15 can run at once.
- Copilot Cowork: Hands longer multi-step jobs to Copilot, such as creating documents, sending email, scheduling meetings and managing files. It plans the work, shows progress and asks before sensitive actions.
- Researcher: not described on a first-party page read
- Analyst: not described on a first-party page read
- Computer: Perplexity's cloud agent. It carries out multi-step jobs in the background, such as research, documents, apps and email handling, and can run on a schedule.
- Comet Agent: The part of the Comet browser that carries out web tasks on its own, checking with you before important or sensitive actions.
- Comet Assistant: The assistant in Comet's sidebar. It summarises pages and conversations, answers questions across tabs, and can carry out tasks.
- Grok Bot: A separate app from Grok. Named Bots work on a shared, persistent cloud computer, keep their own memory, coordinate with each other, and keep working after the user closes the app.
- Muse: Meta's personal AI agent. It carries out multi-step tasks on a dedicated cloud computer ("Muse Secure VM") and keeps working after the app is closed.
Also at Meta AI and Muse: Muse for Small Businesssome regions
- Work: The main chat window in the web and mobile apps. It handles quick questions and longer jobs, planning steps, calling tools, and asking approval before sensitive actions. A fast/think toggle sets the depth.
Why it matters.
Many of these names are new: several are rolling out, in beta or in research preview. Some need a paid plan: Gemini's Task needs a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription, and Copilot Cowork needs the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot licence.
Our view: an agent is not a reliable, repeatable process. The same request can go differently twice. That's fine for a one-off job you'll check. For something that has to happen the same way every time, a saved method or a task on a schedule usually gets most of the benefit, with failures you can see.
Words that trip people up.
- Agent means something different at nearly every vendor. At Microsoft it's what you build in Agent Builder. More on "agent" →
- Cowork is a mode inside Claude's chat, and a separate product at Microsoft that needs the paid licence. More on "Cowork" →
- Task. Gemini's Task is this capability. Everywhere else, "task" mostly means something on a schedule. More on "task" →
- Computer. Perplexity's agent is called Computer. Claude's "computer use" means Claude operating your screen. More on "computer" →
- Gone: ChatGPT agent was retired in July 2026, in favour of ChatGPT Work. See what changed →
Close to this, but not it.
Next to it.
One step up.
Step 05 · Build & shareTurn something that works for you into a tool your whole team uses.
What this step asks of you.
It asks before anything public or destructive. It works only in a space you've defined. It keeps a record of what it changed, file by file.
Where we teach it.
We name agents in Name the parts and say plainly where their edges are. We don't teach building them, and we say why. The longer class teaches the alternatives: Encode a method so someone else runs it and Set it to run without you.