OpenAI has unveiled a new generation of apps you can chat with, built right into the ChatGPT interface via its Apps SDK. The idea is for users to invoke apps conversationally while using ChatGPT. Starting from October 7th, ChatGPT users outside the EU, across their Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans, can access in-chat apps. Early partners include Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Spotify, and Zillow.
For example, you can ask the chatbot to make you a playlist on Spotify or find you homes for rent in Seattle using Zillow, and the app surfaces inside the chat window. With this latest development, apps in ChatGPT gain access to interactive interfaces inside the chat, allowing it to blend maps, slides, forms, etc. Whereas developers building with the SDK get to tap into the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to harmonize state, context, and interaction. OpenAI also said they plan on adding 11 new partners like DoorDash, Uber, Target, etc., by the ned of this year.
Source: OpenAI
“The Zillow app in ChatGPT shows the power of AI to make real estate feel more human. Together with OpenAI, we’re bringing a first-of-its-kind experience to millions — a conversational guide that makes finding a home faster, easier, and more intuitive,” said John Weisberg, Head of AI at Zillow.
From an AI chatbot to an operating system (OS)
Observers and OpenAI insiders alike see this as a step toward ChatGPT acting like a conversational OS. At DevDay, CEO Sam Altman said apps inside ChatGPT will enable a new generation of “interactive, adaptive, and personalized” tools. Many are touting it as their future operating system. Altman has previously commented on usage patterns, saying, “Older people use ChatGPT as a Google replacement … people in college use it as an operating system.”
It is only recently that OpenAI started expanding beyond just its chat layer. It recently released its instant checkout feature, so users can buy from Etsy/Shopify directly through ChatGPT. It’s also doubling down on enterprise clients and partnerships, with Sam Altman and other executives stressing that a ‘huge focus’ will be on enterprise growth at DevDay.
Additionally, OpenAI released ChatGPT Pulse, a proactive research/insights feature, where the bot acts as an assistant and conducts background research to create curated updates and summaries.