OpenAI is releasing a set of tools and APIs designed to simplify agentic AI development, the company has revealed.
While the company has already added new capabilities to support agentic workflows, OpenAI said customers have found it challenging to use these capabilities in production, owing to extensive prompt iteration and custom orchestration logic.
The firm's new ‘Responses API’ aims to solve these problems, along with an ‘Agents Software Development Kit (SDK),’ new search tools, and new integrated observability tools, all aimed at supporting agent development.
The Responses API integrates with OpenAI’s existing ‘Chat Completions API’ and ‘Assistants API’ to assist in agent construction, while the Agents SDK helps users orchestrate both single and multi-agent workflows.
Built-in search tools include a web search and file search function, as well as a computer use function, while users can now take advantage of observability features.
“These new tools streamline core agent logic, orchestration, and interactions, making it significantly easier for developers to get started with building agents,” OpenAI said.
The firm also plans to release additional tools and features soon aimed at simplifying and speeding up agentic development on the OpenAI platform.
How do the new OpenAI tools work?
Responses API is designed to work with the search functions so that it can draw from the real world and more effectively complete entire tasks.
Its focus is primarily on third-party integration and is aimed at developers who want to bring OpenAI’s technology and agentic capabilities into their applications without having to use several APIs or external vendors.
The API can draw on up-to-date public context from the internet via the web search tool or on internal proprietary business context using the file search tool.
While the web search function has been useful in instances such as the creation of shopping assistants, research agents, and travel booking agents, OpenAI said the file search tool could be deployed in customer service and legal capacities.
Web search is priced at $30 and $25 per thousand queries for GPT‑4o search and 4o-mini search respectively. File search is available at a usage price of $2.50 per every thousand queries.
Similarly, file storage is priced at $0.10 per gigabyte (GB) per day, though the first GB is free.
Through the computer use function, Responses API can be used to create agents that perform functions on a computer using interactions like mouse clicks and keyboard strokes. This works in tandem with the model that enables OpenAI’s ‘Operator’ agent.
Computer use function usage costs $3 per each 1 million input tokens and $12 per each 1 million output tokens.
To manage agents once they’ve been developed, the new Agents SDK gives users ‘handoff’ functionality to transfer control between agents, as well as guardrail features for safety and validation checks.
Agents SDK also brings with it tracing and observability functionality so that developers can see how agents are performing and executing tasks, allowing them to debug and optimize accordingly.
OpenAI jumps on the ‘DIY’ agent trend
OpenAI is the latest in a string of firms to bring users the tools they need to build agents and agentic functionality, building on a market trend towards ‘do-it-yourself’ agent development.
Earlier this month, Databricks rolled out new tools to assist businesses in the deployment, monitoring, and integration of agentic tools.
The offering included centralized governance for AI model management, tools for simplified integration of chatbots and custom applications in third-party tools, and an agent evaluation tool.
Similarly, earlier this year Workday released its ‘Agent System of Record’ designed to lessen the burden of managing agentic AI systems.
RELATED WHITEPAPER
The tools allow IT leaders to on-board agentic workers, define the roles of those agents, manage their access to business data and systems, and gain visibility into agent activity.
Some of the bigger tech firms have made similar moves, with AWS putting agentic building capabilities into its Amazon Bedrock platform as part AWS re:Invent 2024.
‘Amazon Bedrock Agents’ gives customers the tools to not just develop their own agents, but also orchestrate whole teams of agents to complete complex workflows.
MORE FROM ITPRO
-
Is the traditional MSP service desk dead?Industry Insights AI and B2C expectations are reshaping B2B service desks and MSP strategy
-
From phone calls to roll calls: 3CX has the answerHow Yellowgrid, a 3CX Platinum distributor, has taken advantage of 3CX Phone System’s customisable nature to create a time-saving solution already embraced by over 100 UK schools
-
Workers view agents as ‘important teammates’ – but the prospect of an AI 'boss' is a step too farNews Workers are comfortable working alongside AI agents, according to research from Workday, but the prospect of having an AI 'boss' is a step too far.
-
OpenAI thought it hit a home run with GPT-5 – users weren't so keenNews It’s been a tough week for OpenAI after facing criticism from users and researchers
-
Three things we expect to see at OpenAI’s GPT-5 reveal eventAnalysis Improved code generation and streamlined model offerings are core concerns for OpenAI
-
Everything you need to know about OpenAI's new open weight AI models, including price, performance, and where you can access themNews The two open weight models from OpenAI, gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b, are available under the Apache 2.0 license.
-
‘LaMDA was ChatGPT before ChatGPT’: Microsoft’s AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman claims Google nearly pipped OpenAI to launch its own chatbot – and it could’ve completely changed the course of the generative AI ‘boom’News In a recent podcast appearance, Mustafa Suleyman revealed Google was nearing the launch of its own ChatGPT equivalent in the months before OpenAI stole the show.
-
Everything you need to know about OpenAI’s new agent for ChatGPT – including how to access it and what it can doNews ChatGPT agent will bridge "research and action" – but OpenAI is keen to stress it's still a work in progress
-
IT leaders don’t trust AI agents yet – and they’re missing out on huge financial gainsNews While the hype around agentic AI is building, trust in fully autonomous agents is proving to be a major stumbling block for enterprise IT leaders.
-
A threat to Google’s dominance? The AI browser wars have begun – here are the top contenders vying for the crownNews Perplexity has unveiled its Comet browser while OpenAI is reportedly planning to follow suit
