A man used OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra to book IRCTC train ticket from Mumbai to Rajkot
The experiment points to a future where AI assistants could move beyond answering questions, taking on real-world digital tasks and completing processes that once required users to do themselves.
- Sep 15, 2026,
- Updated Sep 15, 2026 6:00 AM IST
An Instagram creator’s latest experiment with GPT-6 Astra is raising a bigger question about how far AI assistants can go beyond answering questions. After testing the model for two to three days, the creator decided to see whether it could handle a task that normally requires users to navigate a booking platform themselves - booking an IRCTC train ticket.
Must Read: AI doomsday fears return: Its creators are now warning of darker risks. They are terrified of it.
He said the experiment succeeded, with GPT-6 Astra actually completing the ticket booking. The creator, who had been repeatedly surprised by the model during his testing, said the result shocked him too. His experiment offers a glimpse into how AI could increasingly move from giving instructions to carrying out tasks.
From answering questions to doing the task
The experiment reportedly started after someone asked the creator a straightforward question: Can it book an IRCTC ticket?
Rather than speculate, he decided to test GPT-6 Astra himself. In an Instagram video, the creator showed his experiment and said the AI managed to book an IRCTC train ticket.
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“I’ve been testing GPT-6 Astra for the last 2–3 days, and it keeps surprising me,” he wrote while sharing the experience. He added that after being asked whether it could book an IRCTC ticket, he tested the capability and found that it “actually did”.
The creator said he was “shocked” by the result, making the experiment less about a single train booking and more about what AI assistants may be capable of when they can act on a user’s request.
For users, this could point towards a shift in how AI is used. Instead of simply telling you how to book a train, an AI capable of completing the process could potentially take over more of the steps involved.
However, the creator’s post does not provide details about the specific ticket, payment process or how the booking was completed. So, while the experiment shows what GPT-6 Astra reportedly managed in this case, it does not establish that every IRCTC booking can be completed this way.
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An Instagram creator’s latest experiment with GPT-6 Astra is raising a bigger question about how far AI assistants can go beyond answering questions. After testing the model for two to three days, the creator decided to see whether it could handle a task that normally requires users to navigate a booking platform themselves - booking an IRCTC train ticket.
Must Read: AI doomsday fears return: Its creators are now warning of darker risks. They are terrified of it.
He said the experiment succeeded, with GPT-6 Astra actually completing the ticket booking. The creator, who had been repeatedly surprised by the model during his testing, said the result shocked him too. His experiment offers a glimpse into how AI could increasingly move from giving instructions to carrying out tasks.
From answering questions to doing the task
The experiment reportedly started after someone asked the creator a straightforward question: Can it book an IRCTC ticket?
Rather than speculate, he decided to test GPT-6 Astra himself. In an Instagram video, the creator showed his experiment and said the AI managed to book an IRCTC train ticket.
Must Read: ‘No amount of US pressure should justify recklessness’: Sam Altman backs 'slow' frontier AI pace
“I’ve been testing GPT-6 Astra for the last 2–3 days, and it keeps surprising me,” he wrote while sharing the experience. He added that after being asked whether it could book an IRCTC ticket, he tested the capability and found that it “actually did”.
The creator said he was “shocked” by the result, making the experiment less about a single train booking and more about what AI assistants may be capable of when they can act on a user’s request.
For users, this could point towards a shift in how AI is used. Instead of simply telling you how to book a train, an AI capable of completing the process could potentially take over more of the steps involved.
However, the creator’s post does not provide details about the specific ticket, payment process or how the booking was completed. So, while the experiment shows what GPT-6 Astra reportedly managed in this case, it does not establish that every IRCTC booking can be completed this way.
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine