OpenAI announced ChatGPT Work on July 9th and has been iterating on the product since. According to Simon Willison’s analysis, it is actually two distinct products: Work Cloud, accessible via chatgpt.com and mobile apps, and Work Local, available through the desktop app (formerly called Codex), which can access files and run programs directly on a user’s computer.
ChatGPT Work is available only to subscribers paying $20 per month or higher. Free users and $8/month Go subscribers do not have access. OpenAI describes the intended use cases as completing tasks with clear outcomes, such as creating briefs, decks, analysis documents, recurring updates, workflows, or files for review.
Work Cloud offers several features absent from regular ChatGPT Chat. Users can select from GPT-5.6 models (Sol, Luna, or Terra) at various reasoning levels (Light through Ultra), along with GPT-5.5 options. Chat offers a different model selection including GPT-5.6 Instant and a Pro mode exclusive to Chat.
A significant feature is code execution with internet access. Unlike ChatGPT Chat, which blocks external package installation and API interactions, ChatGPT Work’s code environment can access the broader internet. The default configuration appears to allow open access, though it can be restricted to specific domains. This enables tasks like cloning GitHub repositories and installing dependencies.
Work includes a full headless Chrome browser that can load websites, fill out forms, take screenshots, and run JavaScript against page elements. Users can provide authentication credentials directly without routing them through the model.
The persistent filesystem distinguishes Work from Chat. While Chat provides a fresh filesystem for each session, Work maintains persistent scratch folders across sessions, allowing access to files from previous chats. These folders appear to be shared across concurrent Work sessions.
Additional Work features include ChatGPT Sites, which deploy websites using Cloudflare Workers with HTML, JavaScript, and server-side functionality. Sites default to private but can be made public or shared on team plans. Work supports sub-agent sessions where multiple models work in parallel on complex projects, and scheduled prompt automations that run on specified frequencies.
Willison notes that combining these capabilities—private data access, exposure to untrusted content, and communication back to external parties—raises safety questions that warrant consideration.
Key facts
- ChatGPT Work launched July 9th and comes in two versions: Work Cloud (web and mobile) and Work Local (desktop)
- Available exclusively to $20/month and higher subscribers; free and basic-tier users cannot access it
- Work Cloud features internet-connected code execution, headless Chrome browser, persistent cross-session filesystem, website deployment, and sub-agent capabilities
- Code execution environment allows broader internet access than ChatGPT Chat, which blocks external packages and API interactions
- Persistent /workspace folders allow file access across multiple Work sessions, unlike Chat’s session-specific filesystems