OpenAI’s always-on ChatGPT agents skip Pro users in Europe. Here’s the catch for small businesses
OpenAI’s new always-on agents, called dots, are not available to ChatGPT Pro users in the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK. Business Premium workspaces get them in all supported ChatGPT regions, Europe included. On 18 October an OpenAI lead said existing dots will keep working for people who travel into the EU, and that dots are coming to the EU in the future.
What happened
OpenAI introduced dots at DevDay on 29 September 2026. A dot is an always-on agent inside ChatGPT, powered by GPT-6 Astra, with its own cloud computer and browser. According to OpenAI, it can connect to more than 4,000 apps through plugins, can be reached through ChatGPT, Slack or Teams, and keeps working on a goal between conversations. Access to your own computer is optional and starts turned off.
OpenAI’s help center lists who gets one: Pro users over 18 outside the EEA, Switzerland and the UK; Business Premium users across all supported ChatGPT regions; and Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare workspaces as a beta that an admin must switch on. The first dot is included in the plan, with extended limits in the first month.
European Pro users noticed this weekend when their dots disappeared. On 18 October Tibo Sottiaux of OpenAI replied on X: “EU sorry”, adding that a dot created elsewhere will keep working in the EU, and that dots are coming to the EU in the future. OpenAI has not given a date or an official reason.
It is not the first time. OpenAI’s Record and Replay feature in Codex has also excluded the EEA, Switzerland and the UK since June, according to Search Engine Journal.
What it means for you
- The plan matters more than the product name. If you run a small business in Croatia or Germany and want to test dots now, the route is a Business Premium workspace, not a personal Pro subscription. Check the current price and terms before you switch.
- Plan with a European delay in mind. US AI features often reach Europe weeks or months later. Don’t build a client offer, a workflow or a staff process around a tool until it is confirmed for your region and your plan.
- An always-on agent needs guardrails. A dot that works 24/7 with access to your email, Slack or files can act for you while you sleep. Start with read-only connections, keep payments and customer messages behind human approval, and review what it did each week.
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Sources
- OpenAI Help Center: Getting started with your dot (in English)
- OpenAI: Introducing dots (in English)
- Tibo Sottiaux on X, 18 Oct 2026: post (in English)
- MIXED (mixed-news.com): dots exclude Pro users in the EEA, Switzerland and the UK (in English)