logo
Meet Yash Kumar, the IIITan behind ChatGPT's Agent that brings AI out of your screen into real life

Meet Yash Kumar, the IIITan behind ChatGPT's Agent that brings AI out of your screen into real life

Time of India18-07-2025
OpenAI's latest AI tool, ChatGPT Agent, is being developed under the leadership of
Yash Kumar
, a Member of Technical Staff at the company. Yash, who is also the product lead for the project, demonstrated the tool's capabilities during a recent briefing with The Verge.
ChatGPT Agent
functions like a virtual computer and can perform a wide range of tasks, from managing calendars and summarising meetings to planning meals.
Indian engineer heads key OpenAI product
Yash Kumar studied Computer Science at
IIIT Hyderabad
, one of India's top engineering institutions. He joined OpenAI in November 2023 and now works out of the company's San Francisco headquarters. At OpenAI, Yash is leading the development of ChatGPT Agent, a tool that extends beyond the browser to interact with an entire virtual operating system.
Explore courses from Top Institutes in
Select a Course Category
Artificial Intelligence
Others
Cybersecurity
healthcare
Product Management
Leadership
Operations Management
Healthcare
Data Science
MBA
Digital Marketing
Degree
Project Management
Public Policy
others
Technology
Data Analytics
Finance
MCA
Design Thinking
CXO
Data Science
PGDM
Management
Skills you'll gain:
Duration:
7 Months
S P Jain Institute of Management and Research
CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India
Starts on
undefined
Get Details
'Optimising for hard tasks'
Speaking to The Verge, Yash said the team is now focused on 'optimising for hard tasks' so that users have a smoother experience. The product is designed to carry out digital tasks while still checking with the user before performing critical actions like sending emails or booking appointments.
The system can run tasks in the background, allowing users to return to completed work later. Isa Fulford, who leads research on the project, said, 'Even if it takes 15 minutes, half an hour, it's quite a big speed-up compared to how long it would take you to do it. It's one of those things where you can kick something off in the background and then come back to it.'
Strong safeguards built in
OpenAI has built strong security safeguards into the ChatGPT Agent system. These protections were originally developed for handling models with 'high biological and chemical capabilities.' The company stated there is currently no 'direct evidence that the model could meaningfully help a novice create severe biological or chemical harm.'
Live Events
MORE STORIES FOR YOU

«
Back to recommendation stories
I don't want to see these stories because
They are not relevant to me
They disrupt the reading flow
Others
SUBMIT
Earlier this year, AI company Anthropic activated similar safeguards while launching Opus 4, part of its Claude model line. Like OpenAI, Anthropic said safety remains a priority as AI systems gain more advanced capabilities.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

With resilient overall Q1 growth, Indian economy 'steady as she goes' in FY26: Centre
With resilient overall Q1 growth, Indian economy 'steady as she goes' in FY26: Centre

Hans India

time18 minutes ago

  • Hans India

With resilient overall Q1 growth, Indian economy 'steady as she goes' in FY26: Centre

New Delhi: The first quarter of FY26 presents a picture of resilient domestic supply and demand fundamentals and with inflation remaining within the target range and monsoon progress on track, the domestic economy enters the second quarter of FY26 on a relatively firm footing, Finance Ministry's 'Monthly Economic Review for June 2025' said on Monday, adding that the economy has the look and feel of "steady as she goes" as far as the current fiscal (FY26) is concerned. India's macroeconomic fundamentals have remained resilient. Aided by robust domestic demand, fiscal prudence and monetary support, India appears poised to continue as one of the fastest-growing major economies, "with various forecasters, including S&P, ICRA, and the RBI's Survey of Professional Forecasters, projecting GDP growth rates for FY26 in the range of 6.2 per cent and 6.5 per cent", the monthly document emphasised. India's financial markets have demonstrated notable resilience, primarily driven by strong domestic investor participation. This resilience is further underpinned by the robust health of the banking sector, as banks have strengthened their capital and liquidity buffers while improving their asset quality. "Reflecting these improvements, the GNPA ratio and the NNPA ratio of the scheduled commercial banks are at a multi-decade low of 2.3 per cent and 0.5 per cent, respectively, complemented with strong earnings," the report said. India's economic activity in Q1 FY26 was underpinned by strong domestic demand, robust services growth, and encouraging signs from manufacturing and agriculture. Agricultural activity received a significant lift from a favourable southwest monsoon, which arrived early and has so far delivered above-normal rainfall. Fertiliser availability and reservoir levels are more than adequate, suggesting a strong outlook for the kharif sowing and harvest and consequent rural income and demand. "The agriculture sector's steady performance continues to serve as a stabilising pillar for the broader economy and bolsters the rural outlook. According to NABARD's rural sentiment survey, over 74.7 per cent of rural households expect income growth in the coming year, the highest since the survey's inception," the Economic Review noted. It further stated that the Indian economy in mid-2025 presents a picture of cautious optimism. While geopolitical tensions have not elevated further, the global slowdown, particularly in the US (which shrank by 0.5 per cent in Q1 2025), could dampen further demand for Indian exports. Continued uncertainty on the US tariff front may weigh on India's trade performance in the coming quarters. Slow credit growth and private investment appetite may restrict acceleration in economic momentum, the report highlighted. "In the medium term, given the ongoing momentous shifts in global supply chains in the areas of semiconductor chips, rare earths and magnets, India has its task cut out," it added.

Oppo's AI Vision: Smartphones as Empathetic Partners, Not Replacements
Oppo's AI Vision: Smartphones as Empathetic Partners, Not Replacements

Hans India

time18 minutes ago

  • Hans India

Oppo's AI Vision: Smartphones as Empathetic Partners, Not Replacements

Oppo is redefining the future of smartphones by positioning artificial intelligence (AI) as a collaborative tool that amplifies human potential, not one that competes with it. The company is actively investing in AI to transform the smartphone into an intelligent, empathetic assistant that complements daily life through intuitive, useful features. At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, Oppo introduced its enhanced AI strategy, with an ambitious goal to bring generative AI to 100 million users globally by the end of 2025. Peter Dohyung Lee, Head of Product Strategy at Oppo, emphasized India's importance in this vision. 'India is central to our goal of bringing GenAI to 100 million global users by 2025,' Lee told India Today Tech, highlighting the country's rapid AI adoption and tech-savvy consumer base. Since 2020, Oppo has been building its own large language models (LLMs), becoming the first smartphone brand to deploy a 7-billion-parameter LLM directly on a device. These efforts have led to the rollout of over 100 generative AI features across Oppo smartphones in 2024 alone. AI is deeply woven into Oppo's internal and product ecosystem. From features like HyperTone Image Engine for improved photography to intelligent battery optimization via SuperVOOC charging, AI enables a smarter, more personalized user experience. Internally, the company uses AI to enhance R&D, automate testing, and streamline development. 'Our goal is simple – AI for all,' said Lee. Oppo is democratizing AI by embedding it across all product tiers, not just premium devices. The recently launched Reno 14 series is a testament to this, integrating advanced tools such as AI Eraser 2.0, AI Best Face, and productivity boosters like AI Voice Scribe and AI Translate. Strategic collaborations with global tech leaders such as Google, Microsoft, MediaTek, and Qualcomm are helping Oppo push the boundaries of mobile AI. For instance, Google's Gemini is now integrated into Oppo's ecosystem, enabling users to perform complex tasks using natural language across apps. Microsoft's Azure AI brings improved transcription services and will soon allow PC users to control connected Oppo smartphones using Copilot. Oppo also stresses data privacy, investing heavily in encryption, firewalls, and on-device processing to ensure responsible AI implementation. 'AI means more data, but it also means more responsibility,' Lee remarked, underlining the brand's commitment to user trust. The Indian market, with over 690 million users, plays a critical role in this expansion. Lee observed that Indian consumers expect flagship-grade features even in mid-tier phones, which aligns with Oppo's mission to make GenAI features broadly accessible. 'The future is not about humans vs AI, but it's about humans and AI,' Lee concluded. As smartphones evolve into context-aware, real-time collaborators, Oppo envisions a future where AI enriches creativity, communication, and everyday convenience—always with empathy and user control at the forefront.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warns ChatGPT users' personal questions could be used in lawsuits
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warns ChatGPT users' personal questions could be used in lawsuits

The Hindu

time18 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warns ChatGPT users' personal questions could be used in lawsuits

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has warned that while users often reveal the most personal details of their lives to ChatGPT, their interactions lack privacy protections and could potentially be produced for lawsuits or other legal reasons. During an episode of 'This Past Weekend' podcast with Theo Von, Altman noted that though interactions between patients and doctors or clients and lawyers are protected by privilege — meaning they cannot often be used against an individual in court — this is not the case for a person's interactions with ChatGPT. He emphasised that the policy framework for this protection is lacking, and that it needs to be urgently addressed. 'And right now, if you talk to a therapist or a lawyer or a doctor about those problems, there's legal privilege for it. Like, there's doctor-patient confidentiality, there's legal confidentiality, whatever. And, we haven't figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT,' Altman said during the podcast, adding that OpenAI could be forced to produce such evidence even if he disagreed with the mandate. Altman observed that young people 'especially' used ChatGPT as a life coach or a therapist. He advocated for a human-AI chatbot privacy standard comparable to that existing between a patient and their therapist. OpenAI has in the past criticised the New York Times, claiming that as part of its lawsuit against the AI startup, the media company 'asked the court to force us to retain all user content indefinitely going forward..'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store