On June 17, 2026, OpenAI rolled out a new feature that changes how ChatGPT is used on a daily basis: scheduled tasks. Previously, you had to open the application and ask your question to get an answer. Now, you can ask ChatGPT to perform a task at a specific time, repeat it daily or weekly, and even monitor the web or your connected applications to notify you only when something important happens.

For a small business in Trois-Rivières, the Mauricie region, or elsewhere in Quebec, it's a small change that can save real time. Instead of remembering to check information every morning, you let the tool do it and you receive a notification. We'll explain what it actually does, how it's used in a real business, and the precautions to take before fully automating your processes.

1. What ChatGPT just added

The new feature revolves around a dedicated page called "Scheduled," which brings together all the automated actions you request from ChatGPT in one place. You can create them, view them, pause them, resume them, modify them, or delete them. Three main types of uses are offered:

• Reminders : ChatGPT notifies you at a chosen time, for example for customer follow-up or a deadline.
• Recurring work : the same request that is repeated, such as a summary every morning or a draft publication every Monday.
• Monitoring tasks : AI will look at the web or your connected applications and only notify you if it detects a significant change.

You can schedule a task for a specific time, or for a wider range such as morning, afternoon, or evening. OpenAI also indicates that these tasks are faster and more reliable than before, with improved notifications. The old Pulse feature will be removed in the coming weeks.

2. How does it work in practice?

The idea behind scheduled tasks is to move from an assistant that responds when you speak to it to one that acts at the right time, without you having to think about it. You formulate your request once, you choose when it should be executed, and ChatGPT takes care of the rest.

The most interesting use case for a company is monitoring. Rather than receiving a deluge of emails or checking ten websites a day, you ask the tool to only bother you when there's genuinely something new. A few rules govern this, as suggested by OpenAI:

• A task cannot be executed more than once per hour.
• A task left without interaction may automatically pause after a certain period of inactivity.
• The number of active tasks depends on the plan, which is detailed below.

If you're wondering how to integrate this type of tool into your operations without creating chaos, that's exactly the kind of support we offer through our managed IT services. Setting up automation is easy. Making it reliable, secure, and useful in the long run is a different story.

3. Five concrete uses for a Quebec SME

Beyond the technical novelty, the real question remains the same: what does this change for my business on Monday morning? Here are some realistic examples, applicable without being a specialist.

• Competitive intelligence : monitoring a competitor's website or advertisements and being notified when a price or page changes.
• Regulatory monitoring : keep an eye on government pages related to your sector, for example the obligations of Bill 25, and receive an alert in case of updates.
• Morning summary : a daily update on the news in your industry, delivered before your first coffee.
• Follow-up reminders : follow up on a quote, check a client file or prepare a report at a fixed time each week.
• Reputation monitoring : be notified when your company name appears online, so you can react quickly to a review or mention.

None of these uses replace an employee. Rather, they eliminate the chore of manual verification, freeing up time for higher-value tasks. This is the same logic we apply when automating our clients' IT routines.

4. Which plans and with what limits?

The feature is being rolled out across several plans, both online and on mobile. According to reports in the tech media, scheduled tasks are coming soon to the Go, Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans. The number of active tasks varies depending on the subscription level: for example, approximately 3 active tasks for the Go plan, and up to 15 for the Pro and Enterprise plans.

These figures and the exact offer can change rapidly, as is often the case with AI tools. For up-to-date information and precise conditions, always refer to the official OpenAI website rather than an outdated article. The free plan remains more limited, which is to be expected: the feature is primarily aimed at paying users and teams.

5. Privacy, supervision and Bill 25: precautions

Automating a task often means entrusting information to an external tool. This is where caution is necessary, especially in Quebec where Bill 25 governs the protection of personal information. Here are a few basic precautions:

• Keep a human in the loop : an automatic notification remains a suggestion to be validated, not a final decision.
• Avoid feeding AI sensitive customer or employee data without first checking your plan's privacy policies.
• Opt for the professional packages : on the Business and Enterprise plans, OpenAI indicates that the shared data is not used to train its models, which is not guaranteed on the consumer versions.
• Document your automations to know who created what, and be able to quickly disable everything if needed.

Good automation is automation you control. If you want to manage the use of AI in your SME without hindering your teams, we can help you establish clear and secure rules. Talk to our team via the contact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are ChatGPT's scheduled tasks free?

The feature is primarily available on paid plans (Go, Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise), with the number of active tasks depending on the subscription level. The free plan remains more limited. As the offer changes rapidly, check the current terms and conditions directly on the OpenAI website.

Can ChatGPT really monitor a website for me?

Yes, that's one of the three intended uses. You ask it to monitor the web or a connected application, and it only alerts you when it detects a change deemed significant. However, a task is not executed more than once per hour.

Is it secure for my company's data?

It depends on the data plan and the information you provide. For professional purposes, OpenAI states that the data is not used to train its models. In Quebec, also consider Bill 25: avoid sharing sensitive personal information without clear guidelines, and always maintain human oversight.

Automation, yes, but properly regulated

ChatGPT's scheduled tasks clearly illustrate the direction AI is taking in 2026: fewer ad-hoc questions, more actions triggered at the right time. For SMEs, this is a real opportunity to save time on monitoring, follow-ups, and routine tasks. But like any new tool, it's best to implement it methodically, protecting your data and maintaining control. If you want to integrate AI securely into your operations, explore our IT services for SMEs or contact us through the contact to discuss it with our team in Trois-Rivières.