ChatGPT just got a feature you'll actually use every day, but you need to pay for it

AI tools are steadily moving beyond answering questions and into the territory of actually getting things done. The latest example comes from ChatGPT, which is rolling out a more capable task-scheduling system that lets you set reminders, automate recurring prompts, and even monitor specific topics for important updates.

The feature, which is rolling out now, gives ChatGPT a role closer to that of a lightweight personal assistant. Instead of simply responding in the moment, it can now carry out actions on a schedule you define. Need a reminder to wish your parents a happy birthday? Or perhaps you’d like ChatGPT to keep an eye on a product launch and let you know when new information appears — these are the kinds of jobs the new task system is designed to handle.

Scheduled tasks also get their own dedicated management hub inside ChatGPT. You’ll find it in the sidebar on both the web and mobile apps, where you can view existing tasks, make changes, pause them temporarily, or remove them altogether.

Notifications play a key role here. If you plan to rely on ChatGPT for reminders, make sure notifications are enabled on your phone and in your browser. Otherwise, there’s a good chance those carefully scheduled alerts will go unnoticed.

One of the more interesting additions is the ability to ask ChatGPT to monitor for meaningful developments and alert you when they change. For example, you could ask it to track updates about your favorite app, monitor the status of an upcoming event, or notify you when a particular topic sees notable news.

There are, however, a few limitations. The biggest one is that scheduled tasks aren’t available to free users, so you’ll need a paid ChatGPT subscription to access the feature. Task availability is also tied to your subscription tier, and any usage limits associated with your plan still apply.

The number of active tasks you can maintain at once varies depending on your account. Go users can keep three tasks active; Plus subscribers get five; Business and Edu users can have up to 10; while Pro and Enterprise users can manage as many as 15. Once you hit your limit, you’ll need to complete, pause, or delete an existing task before creating another.

This new feature won’t change how you chat with ChatGPT, but it could definitely change how often you need to remember things yourself.