OpenAI is taking on Mark Zuckerberg's Muse with Dots, full story in 5 points

OpenAI made a bunch of announcements during DevDay 2026. However, the one thing that caught everyone’s eye was Dots – the company’s new always-on AI agent that seems to be a real competitor to Meta’s Muse.

Muse, launched earlier this month, has gone viral in the US as a personal AI agent that can do different tasks for you, such as booking a ticket or shopping online. The Muse app even took the number 1 spot on US app stores, leaving behind the likes of ChatGPT and Claude. OpenAI is now doubling down on AI agents with Dots, its version of customisable AI avatar.advertisement❮❯ Read Full Story1. What are Dots?OpenAI says Dots are always-on assistants that can “do nearly anything” for you while using a cloud computer and connected apps. You can set up your own Dot agent and then talk to them via text or voice on ChatGPT. Once connected, these Dots can do things for you, such as browsing the web or over 4,000 supported apps.

Dots are powered by OpenAI’s frontier AI model GPT-6 Astra. Dots can also carry context from different apps or devices and help you with research or tasks work like software development. Introducing dots, powered by GPT-6 Astra.Remarkably capable, always-on agents built to handle everything. pic.twitter.com/inY5BZj3Kz— OpenAI (@OpenAI) September 29, 2026

Once you give Dot a task, it can work around the clock and send you updates as it continues. Currently, every paid ChatGPT user gets one Dot. Though OpenAI says soon you may have multiple Dots working for you.

As mentioned earlier, OpenAI has announced Dots at a time when Meta’s Muse has only grown in popularity. And the two products do have some similarities. Like Dots, Muse is also designed to be an AI agent that works on your behalf in the background.

Both AI agents are also represented by customisable avatars and use a text-message-style interface. Although Dots does not get a separate app. Dots and Muse both can learn from the way you use them and adapt their behaviour too.

There are some differences though. While Muse leans towards personal AI use, such as reservations or shopping, Dots is more focused towards work. The OpenAI agent can connect to your work apps, help prepare documents, and do other tasks. And while Muse does get a free tier for users, Dots is only available to Pro and Business Premium for now.3. OpenAI CFO accidentally calls Dots “Muse”

OpenAI seems to be quite focused on rivalling Muse with Dots. So much so that OpenAI’s chief financial officer Sarah Friar accidentally called Dots “Muse” during an interview on DevDay. While discussing improvements in ChatGPT’s memory, she misspoke.

“(ChatGPT) knows the types of conversations you’ve had, how you like to show up in the world, Muse is going to benefit. Sorry, not Muse. Dots is going to benefit from that as well,” Friar told CNBC. Though all of us make mistakes sometimes, and after a hectic DevDay, you cannot completely blame Sarah Friar for making such an error.4. Is Sam Altman threatened by Mark Zuckerberg?

Moving from the OpenAI CFO to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. During DevDay, Altman was asked if he was worried about Meta and Mark Zuckerberg. In recent weeks, Meta has released more advanced models and agents including Muse. This has allowed the company to finally close the gap to OpenAI and Anthropic in the AI race.

Altman was asked if he was “threatened by Zuckerberg,” the OpenAI CEO responded, “No... I mean, he's, like, a very impressive person, and that company has great resources. But I feel very good about our roadmap.”

Instead, Sam Altman teased that OpenAI had a lot more in store for the future, including its first hardware device, designed by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive. “I don't want to spoil your surprise, but I think we will have something that's worth waiting for,” he said.

Mark Zuckerberg recently showcased Muse Charm, a pendant-like device for the Muse AI assistant.advertisement5. Everything else OpenAI announcedThere were a lot of announcements other than Dots at OpenAI DevDay 2026. The company released its new AI model – GPT-6.1 Sol. As per OpenAI, GPT-6.1 Sol is a cheaper model with “near Astra” level of performance. Recently, the company had confirmed that it was not launching GPT-6.1 Astra over security concerns.

Along with a new model, OpenAI also launched the new ChatGPT Pro 500 plan that costs $500 a month. This tier also includes Ultrafast which allows Codex and Work to produce up to 300 tokens per second, or eight times faster than standard use. The company also unveiled ChatGPT Space – a shared workspace where users can work together and Dots can use this shared context.- EndsAlso Read | Less doomsday, more charm: How Mark Zuckerberg got his mojo backAlso Read | Mark Zuckerberg launches perv-free glasses without camera and puts Muse AI inside a keychainAlso Read | This guy is a monster, nobody knows him: Donald Trump talks about Sundar Pichai at lunch with AI CEOs

Armaan loves to keep an eye on everything happening in the world of tech and AI. You will find him testing new gadgets, exploring the latest LLMs and making sense of the emerging tech. When not working around tech, he will be exploring new music or catching up on motorsport or aviation.