OpenAI has introduced a new feature in ChatGPT for Plus, Pro, and Team users: the ability to schedule tasks. This functionality enables users to plan and manage their interactions with ChatGPT more efficiently. The Task feature is currently in beta, offering a sneak peek into how AI can help streamline workflows and manage follow-ups with ease.

How to Enable Scheduled Tasks

To access this feature, navigate to the model selection menu, where you’ll find the “ChatGPT-4 with scheduled tasks” option. Selecting this model allows you to set up specific follow-up tasks for the AI to perform later.

To schedule a task, just add a time and/or date to your prompt to let ChatGPT know when to run the task.  After the task is run, you’ll receive an email notification to your account email with a brief note and a link to the results.

Use Cases for Scheduled Tasks

Just a few ideas for how it can be used productively:

As a reminder, ChatGPT is not for sensitive data of any type.

  1. Meeting Reminders Example Prompt: Remind me at 8am of my meeting about (insert general topic or group) at 9am.  My initial thoughts are (insert idea) and (insert idea).  Provide a comprehensive list of initial ideas similar to and building on those.
  2. Ongoing Research Example Prompt: Every morning at 7am, provide a comprehensive list of studies and papers published in the last 24 hours on (insert topic here).  Check to make sure the publication date is within the last day of when you search.  Do not list studies and papers that are older than the last 24 hours of when you searched.
  3. News Feed Example Prompt: Every morning at 7am, provide a comprehensive list of news stories published in the last 24 hours on (insert topic here).  Prefer primary sources such as (insert preferred outlets/sources here).  Check to make sure the publication date is within the last day of when you search.  Do not list stories that are older than the last 24 hours of when you searched.
  4. Personal Assistant Example Prompt: Every day at 5pm check for ticket prices with (insert airlines) on (insert dates) for (insert class).  Let me know any time there is a ticket available with carry-on and 1 bag included for under $300.  If there are none available when you search, then do not inform me.
  5. Project Management Keep long-term projects on track by scheduling milestone reminders. You can prompt ChatGPT to check on deliverables or provide tips to meet deadlines.

Additional Tips

These scheduled tasks can be updated and revised over time the same as other prompts.  If you have an ongoing task that doesn’t give you the results you are looking for, give it additional instructions to help refine it for next time.

Refine your prompts ahead of time by trying it in GPT-4o.  That is the model used by Tasks, so you can see how it would respond if run immediately.

Final Thoughts

The Scheduled Tasks feature in ChatGPT is a powerful tool for anyone looking to manage their time more effectively.    With a little creativity, there are myriad options and possibilities.  Please share any that you find particularly useful with the rest of the team!