OpenAI's Tara Seshan on the era of persistent AI coworkers
xiaohu · x · 2026-09-02
Tara Seshan, Head of ChatGPT Work and Codex at OpenAI, discusses the shift to "persistent AI coworkers" on Lenny's Podcast.
Key Points:
- From Rowing to Steering: As AI handles continuous execution, humans shift to steering—focusing on direction, taste, and accountability.
- Product Design: Requires a unified framework integrating models, environments, permissions, and collaboration interfaces.
- Ambition: Ambition becomes the bottleneck; PMs must elevate others' goals.
- Planning: Building for model capabilities 2-3 months out is essential.
Related event: OpenAI Product Lead on Designing for Persistent AI Coworkers(2 posts)→
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