ChatGPT Tasks and Beyond: The Automation Era Begins

This Week’s BIG thing

ChatGPT Tasks: OpenAI’s First Step into AI Automation

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Tasks, its first agentic feature designed to streamline everyday activities. This update allows users to schedule reminders, automate recurring tasks, and sync their AI assistant with their workflows. The release marks a pivotal step towards more autonomous AI systems. Read more here.

What Does This Mean for Me?

As OpenAI’s first foray into task automation, ChatGPT Tasks signals a future of intelligent assistance tailored to professionals. Imagine automating admin work, project planning, or team check-ins in real-time—this feature is designed to reduce the burden of repetitive tasks and optimise focus for project delivery and innovation.

For project-driven industries ChatGPT Tasks could integrate with digital workflows, offering seamless updates, milestone tracking, and even supply chain reminders—all managed through a conversational AI.

Key Themes or Details

• OpenAI’s First Agentic Feature: Tasks represents the start of OpenAI’s vision for AI agents capable of automating real-world activities.

• Smart Scheduling: Set and track deadlines, meeting reminders, and personalised schedules directly with ChatGPT.

• Recurring Automations: Automate routine project tasks like weekly updates, inventory alerts, or compliance checks.

• Integration Potential: Connect ChatGPT with platforms like calendars, email, and project management tools.

• Future Capabilities: Experts suggest this is only the beginning, with OpenAI likely expanding into more complex task execution and integrations.

• Access and Pricing: Currently available to ChatGPT Plus users, with wider availability expected in the coming months.

Down the Rabbit Hole

• TechCrunch: ChatGPT Tasks Overview

• Tom’s Guide: Future of AI Automation

• MacRumors: How to Get Started with Tasks

• Bloomberg: OpenAI’s Long-Term Vision for Agents

This isn’t just another feature—it’s OpenAI’s declaration of intent to move into automation at scale. As project leaders, the potential is huge: reduced admin, smarter systems, and an AI assistant that works just like you would.

What’s new: Tech

OpenAI Removes “Politically Unbiased” Aim: A Shift in AI Ethics and Governance

OpenAI has quietly edited its policy blueprint, removing the commitment that AI models "should aim to be politically unbiased by default." This subtle yet significant revision, reported by TechCrunch, prompts deeper questions about the ethical and security challenges of deploying AI in an increasingly polarised world.

What Does This Mean for Me?

This change signals a profound shift in how AI creators address issues of neutrality, accountability, and governance. While the goal of political impartiality remains aspirational, OpenAI’s update acknowledges the complex, often subjective nature of bias. For professionals relying on AI for decision-making or communication, this revision underscores the importance of critically evaluating AI outputs. It also raises concerns about whether AI systems could become tools for ideological influence, potentially jeopardising trust and security in critical systems.

Key Themes or Details

• Ethical Complexity: OpenAI’s revision acknowledges a fundamental issue—political neutrality is not always achievable, given that AI models reflect biases present in their training data and societal discourse.

• Risk of Influence: Without explicit safeguards, AI could inadvertently reinforce or amplify specific ideologies, posing risks for democratic processes and informed decision-making.

• Governance Challenges: The removal of "political unbiasedness" as an explicit aim shifts the onus onto policymakers, organisations, and users to manage how AI systems are implemented and governed.

• Security Implications: As AI becomes deeply embedded in sensitive areas like defence, healthcare, and infrastructure, the potential for misuse or biased outputs poses significant risks to global stability and trust.

• Transparency and Trust: This change has sparked calls for clearer frameworks and transparency from AI developers, emphasising the importance of understanding AI’s limitations and trade-offs.

Down the Rabbit Hole

• TechCrunch: OpenAI’s Blueprint Change Explained

• Stanford HAI: The Inherent Bias in AI Systems

This policy shift reflects a broader debate about balancing AI’s transformative potential with its ethical and security risks. For professionals and policymakers, it’s a reminder to demand transparency, critically assess AI deployments, and shape governance frameworks to ensure responsible use in an increasingly AI-driven world.

💙 Other tech news we’re loving

_{Here’s this week’s roundup of the most engaging AI stories redefining the future—spanning cutting-edge breakthroughs, major policy moves, and a dash of nostalgia.}

• _{Apple Pauses AI Notifications: Apple halted its AI-driven news notifications due to false alerts, highlighting the ongoing challenge of building reliable AI communication tools. Read more on TechCrunch.}

• _{OpenAI’s GPT-5 Mystery: OpenAI reportedly has GPT-5 in-house but is focusing on refining smaller public models, leaving AI enthusiasts speculating.}

• _{Microsoft 365 Gets Copilot: Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans now include AI-powered Copilot, bringing seamless task management and creativity boosts to everyday users. Learn more on Microsoft’s blog.}

• _{The Invisible Leap in AI Progress: AI advancements are increasingly harder to see—but their impact is everywhere. From language models to logistics, this op-ed explores AI’s quiet revolution. Time has the story.}

• _{ChatGPT’s Memory Upgrade: OpenAI has enhanced ChatGPT’s memory features, making it better at referencing past conversations and personalising your AI experience. See how it works.}

• _{Ndea Lab’s Ambitious AGI Vision: François Chollet and Mike Knoop have launched Ndea, a research lab dedicated to building Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Read about their mission on TechCrunch.}

• _{Trump and the TikTok Ban: President-elect Trump may delay a TikTok ban via executive order, a controversial move amid growing tech tensions. The Washington Post has the details.}

• _{EU Tightens Big Tech Scrutiny: The EU is re-evaluating investigations into Apple, Meta, and Google, while US tech leaders push Trump to intervene. More from FT.}

• _{Nvidia Chips Restricted Globally: New US rules limit global access to Nvidia AI chips, adding hurdles for non-US players in cutting-edge AI development. Read the full report on Wired.}

• _{The Return of ELIZA: ELIZA, the first chatbot, has been resurrected from lost code, offering a nostalgic look at AI’s roots and societal evolution.}

OpenAI is building a robotics division and is working on new personality features for its chatbot.

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What’s new: Projects

How AI and Robotics Redefined Project Delivery in 2024

The transformative impact of AI and robotics on project delivery took centre stage in 2024. In this insightful article from our very own, James Garner of Project Flux explores the year’s most significant advancements, from automating repetitive tasks to enabling real-time decision-making. Read the full article here.

What Does This Mean for Me?

The article highlights how AI-powered tools like predictive analytics, robotic automation, and digital twins are reshaping how projects are planned, executed, and monitored. These technologies empower project professionals with greater efficiency, accuracy, and adaptability, enabling them to tackle complexity and deliver successful outcomes in record time.

The rise of AI in project delivery is not just a technical evolution—it’s a paradigm shift that demands new skills, adaptive mindsets, and a willingness to embrace change.

Key Themes or Details

• Automating the Mundane: AI and robotics now handle repetitive tasks like data entry, scheduling, and progress tracking, freeing up time for strategic thinking.

• Enhanced Predictive Power: Predictive analytics allow project managers to foresee risks, optimise timelines, and allocate resources with precision.

• Digital Twins and Real-Time Monitoring: Virtual replicas of assets offer dynamic insights into project performance, enabling real-time adjustments.

• Labour Augmentation: Robots and AI assist with construction tasks, enhancing safety and speed while reducing costs.

• Skill Evolution: Professionals are pivoting towards more strategic roles, focusing on leadership, analysis, and innovation in a tech-driven landscape.

Down the Rabbit Hole

• Full Article: How AI and Robotics Redefined Project Delivery in 2024

If you’d like to discuss this topic further, or explore how AI and robotics could enhance your project delivery processes, feel free to reach out to James Garner at Project Flux via email or LinkedIn. Let’s continue the conversation!

💙 Other Project news we’re loving

• _{MatterGen: AI in Materials Design
  Microsoft’s MatterGen leverages generative AI to innovate materials science, accelerating breakthroughs in sustainability and advanced manufacturing. Discover MatterGen on Microsoft’s blog.}

• _{Google’s DeepMind Simulates Reality
  DeepMind is forming a new team under Tim Brooks to create AI models that simulate physical environments with real-time interactivity. Read more on TechCrunch.}

• _{Gemini Gets Real-Time News
  Google has partnered with the Associated Press (AP) to integrate real-time news updates into its Gemini AI chatbot, enhancing relevance and accuracy. Details on TechCrunch.}

• _{Biden Speeds AI Data Centres
  President Biden’s executive order fast-tracks AI data centre construction, aiming to strengthen the US’s position in the global AI race. Read more on The Verge.}

What’s new: Productivity

What is your true competitive advantage against AI?

When people tell you AI will take your job, what exactly do they mean? How can you identify the low-value tasks that AI can do for you, and most importantly - where do you find your competitive edge?

Flux co-host Yoshi Soornack, has written a thought provoking essay differentiating human and AI cognition.

“I started writing The Plastic Thinker out of frustration. I was annoyed hearing typical buzz phrases like “augmentation not automation” or  “AI won’t take our jobs, it will just elevate what we do?” Whilst this sounds comforting, it’s vague. 

This essay looks at the relationship between human and machine cognition to help people understand the power of their minds and where their strengths against AI still exist. I tell this narrative bringing in concepts like systems, emergence, compositionality, qualia, and plasticity. I highlight how, despite AI's rapid advancements, human cognition remains uniquely adaptive and rich.

For project managers, The Plastic Thinker highlights how to harness AI for efficiency while focusing on uniquely human strengths like creativity and adaptability. Concepts like systems and emergence show how AI can optimise repetitive tasks, while compositionality, qualia, and plasticity emphasise the value of human judgement and innovation in handling complexity and ambiguity. This essay offers a framework to identify where AI adds value, enabling project professionals to focus on strategic, high-impact work.

The Plastic Thinker is both a celebration of human cognition and a contemplation of our future alongside AI.”

Find the essay here

Connect with Yoshi here

💙 Other productivity news we’re loving

This week’s AI highlights dive into impactful strategies, free tools, and thought-provoking questions about the future of intelligence.

• _{AI Action Plan for Justice
  On LinkedIn, Richard Susskind urged the legal profession to prioritise AI with a vast legal dataset to expand justice access and bolster English law’s global reputation. Read more on LinkedIn.}

• _{Google Makes Workspace AI Free
  Google Workspace AI features, including Smart Reply and Meet enhancements, are now free for all users, boosting productivity at no extra cost. Learn more on Google’s blog or The Verge.}

• _{Is AI Making Us Dumber?
  This MDPI article explores whether reliance on AI diminishes human cognitive skills and creativity. Is AI enhancing us—or replacing us? Dive into the discussion.}

• _{LinkedIn Introduces AI Hiring Tools
  LinkedIn’s new AI features include “Jobs Match” for guiding users to ideal roles and tools for businesses to screen CVs efficiently.}

• _{Google Launches Agentspace
  Google's new Agentspace platform empowers businesses to create bespoke AI agents, streamlining workflows and customising automation.}
  

Podcasts of the Week

Mastering AI Literacy

This podcast dives into why AI literacy is a critical skill for professionals across industries. Learn how to decode AI systems and leverage them effectively in your work. Listen on Spotify.

AI Power Shift: Can the UK Lead the Next Innovation Wave?

The Project Flux Podcast reviews the UK’s AI Action Plan, examining its potential to position the nation as a leader in AI innovation and governance. Listen now.

One More Thing

Open AI Researcher worried

Meet Project Flux: About Us

At Project Flux, we're committed to pioneering the future of construction and project delivery through the lens of cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence insights. Our vision is to be at the forefront of integrating AI into the fabric of project delivery, transforming how projects are conceptualised, planned, and executed.

Our Mission Project Flux aims to not only inform and educate but also to inspire professionals in the construction industry to embrace the transformative potential of AI. We believe in the power of AI to revolutionise project delivery, making it more efficient, predictive, and adaptable to the dynamic demands of the modern world.

What We Offer Through our insightful newsletters, podcasts and curated content on LinkedIn, and engaging discussions, Project Flux serves as a resource for professionals seeking to stay ahead in their field. We offer a blend of practical advice, thought leadership, and the latest developments in AI and construction technology.

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