The AI map · Agents and research

Agents that do tasks for you

An agent takes a goal, uses its own computer, browser and your connected apps to carry out the steps, and comes back with the finished work or a question. The ones that lead it as of 29 October 2026.

  1. dots New since July

    OpenAI

    An always-on agent with its own cloud computer and browser that works on your goals in the background and learns how you like things done.

    Pick it You want one agent that keeps working on ongoing responsibilities, reachable in ChatGPT, Slack or Teams, and you already pay for ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium.

    Price Included in ChatGPT Pro (from $100 a month) and Business Premium; not on Free, Go or Plus

    Source: openai.com

  2. ChatGPT Work New since July

    OpenAI

    The agent side of ChatGPT: longer, multi-step jobs that end in a document, spreadsheet, presentation, report or Site.

    Pick it You want a finished deliverable from a research or analysis task and already use ChatGPT on a paid plan.

    Price Paid ChatGPT plans; Plus is $20 a month, Pro from $100 a month

    Source: help.openai.com

  3. Claude New since July

    Anthropic

    Hand Claude a big task (a report, a deck, research across your connected tools) from any conversation and let it keep working after you close the laptop.

    Pick it You want an agent that writes docs and slides with you in the same conversation, with a schedule for repeat work.

    Price Free tier; Pro $20 a month ($17 a month billed yearly); Max from $100 a month

    Source: claude.com

  4. Tasks in Gemini

    Google

    Give Gemini a goal or an ongoing job (watch prices, clear newsletters, book things, build files) and let it run on a schedule.

    Pick it You live in Gmail, Drive and Chrome and already pay for Google AI Pro or Ultra.

    Price Needs Google AI Pro ($19.99 a month) or Ultra (from $99.99 a month)

    In India Available wherever Gemini Apps are supported except the EEA, Nigeria, Switzerland and the UK, so India is not excluded; personal Google Accounts only.

    Source: gemini.google

  5. Manus New since July

    Manus AI

    A general agent that builds slides, websites, games and videos and runs long jobs on a cloud computer of its own.

    Pick it You want one agent for making things (sites, decks, media) and tasks triggered by events in your connected services.

    Source: manus.im

  6. Perplexity Computer

    Perplexity

    A digital worker that browses, researches, creates files and apps, and connects your tools, running in the background for hours.

    Pick it Your work starts with research and you already pay for Perplexity Pro or Max.

    Price Included in Perplexity Pro and Max; Max is $200 a month

    Source: perplexity.ai

What changed

  1. 23 Oct 2026 The merged Claude app, with Cowork built in, became generally available on Claude Enterprise. claude.com
  2. 29 Sep 2026 At DevDay OpenAI launched dots, always-on agents powered by GPT-6 Astra with their own cloud computer, on Pro and Business Premium first. openai.com
  3. 29 Sep 2026 OpenAI added computer use to its Agents API so developers can build agents that operate software, and Amazon offers the same as Bedrock Managed Agents. openai.com
  4. 28 Sep 2026 Manus released Manus 2.0 with cloud computers, event-triggered automations and computer use, plus Cue, a separate app for personal agents in early access. manus.im
  5. 16 Sep 2026 Anthropic merged Claude Cowork into the main Claude app, so any conversation can take on a long task, and added Claude Docs and Claude Slides in beta. claude.com
  6. 8 Sep 2026 Meta launched Muse, a personal agent that books travel, fills forms and shops from its own cloud computer; it is in the US only, through an app and WhatsApp. techrepublic.com
  7. 9 Jul 2026 OpenAI merged Chat, Work and Codex into one new ChatGPT desktop app for macOS and Windows, with Work as the agent for multi-step tasks and a built-in browser. help.openai.com

Questions people ask about it

AI Agents

  1. What actually is an AI agent, in plain language?
  2. Why would a founder use agents instead of a chatbot or automation?
  3. What real tasks are founders delegating to agents today?
  4. How do I build my first agent without being technical?
  5. Which platform or framework should I build my agents on?
  6. How much do AI agents cost to run, and how do I keep the bill under control?

Workflows & Automation

  1. What's the difference between automation (Zapier, n8n, Make) and AI agents?
  2. How do founders chain AI into their existing tools to remove repetitive work?
  3. What are the highest-ROI automations a startup should build first?

The rest of the map

Checked 29 October 2026. Prices and rankings move every few months; each tool links the page its claims were read from.

eChai Partner Brands The partnership →