Imagine a future where you don’t even have to open the dedicated website or the mobile app of a service, and everything can be done within ChatGPT. Well, that future is finally here. OpenAI has today announced what it calls “apps you can chat with, right inside ChatGPT.”
The big shift
So far, ChatGPT has relied on a system of connectors, where you could link ChatGPT with a third-party service such as Gmail, Drive, Dropbox, and Notion, among others. However, the list of supported services has been extremely limited. Now, OpenAI will let any developer build apps that can be directly accessed within the ChatGPT dialog box.
More importantly, you just need to describe the task at hand and name the app to get it done. “You can discover them when ChatGPT suggests one at the right time, or by calling them by name. Apps respond to natural language and include interactive interfaces you can use right in the chat,” says the company.
OpenAI is kicking off app support in ChatGPT with partners such as Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Spotify, and Zillow. These apps will be available to all users, whether they are on the free tier, or pay for a Go, Plus, or Pro subscription.
The key takeaway
Support for apps that can be summoned right within the ChatGPT command box and getting work done by simply describing it is quite convenient. For example, you can just type something like “Booking, show me homestays for three people over the weekend starting on September 19,” and the AI chatbot will do the bidding.
OpenAI has already released the SDK so that developers can start building their apps for ChatGPT atop the open Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard. In the coming months, OpenAI will start taking submissions of these apps, which will also offer monetization opportunities, just like the App Store or Google Play Store.
This is a huge move as these apps essentially turn ChatGPT into its own ecosystem, just like Android and iOS. And now that ChatGPT already commands 800 million active users, it has a vast ecosystem ready to experience apps in an entirely new and conversational way.
