ChatGPT is evolving fast, and with the latest update, it now functions as a centralized app platform. Users can design in Canva, play music with Spotify, and perform other exciting tasks without leaving the chat window.
At the OpenAI DevDay event, CEO Sam Altman said the goal is to make ChatGPT “a great way for people to make progress to be more productive, more inventive, and to learn faster.”
OpenAI announced a new way for users to integrate “interactive applications directly inside ChatGPT”, marking a significant step in turning the AI assistant into a full-fledged ecosystem.
Starting this week, ChatGPT users can easily access apps from partners such as Booking.com, Spotify, Figma, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, and Zillow, without even leaving the chat window.
Sam Altman also described these in-chat apps as “interactive, adaptive, and personalised,” opening the door to “entirely new kinds of digital experiences”.
Unlike the earlier GPT Store, which functioned as a separate marketplace, these apps live inside ChatGPT’s responses. Users can invoke them naturally by simply typing commands like “Figma, turn this sketch into a diagram,” or “Coursera, teach me about machine learning.”
Developers can now use OpenAI’s new Apps SDK, currently in preview, to build and distribute apps within ChatGPT. In a blog post, ChatGPT mentioned: “The Apps SDK builds on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open standard that lets ChatGPT connect to external tools and data.
It extends MCP, allowing developers to design both the logic and interface of their apps. We’ve made the Apps SDK open source so that apps built with it can run anywhere that adopts this standard.”
“Developers can use their own code to define the app’s interface and chat logic, and connect directly with their backend so their existing customers can log in or access premium features,” the blog post added.
Another exciting announcement came this DevDay with ‘AgentKit’, a toolkit for taking agents from prototype to production.
The OpenAI blog post mentioned “With AgentKit, developers can now design workflows visually and embed agentic UIs faster using new building blocks.” AgentKit will feature Agent Builder, Connector Registry, and ChatKit for the following tasks:
Agent Builder: A visual canvas for creating and versioning multi-agent workflows
Connector Registry: A central place for admins to manage how data and tools connect across OpenAI products
ChatKit: A toolkit for embedding customizable chat-based agent experiences in your product
Agent Builder is available in beta, and the Connector Registry is on beta rollout to select API, ChatGPT Enterprise, and Edu customers with a Global Admin Console.
The announcement has led many to envision ChatGPT’s future as a super app. “OpenAI’s APP SDK is a genius move,” said Yuchen Jin, co-founder and CTO of Hyperbolic apps.
“The goal: make ChatGPT the default interface for everyone, where you can talk to all your apps. ChatGPT becomes the new OS, the place where people spend most of their time,” he added in his post on X.
“Always wondered if the WeChat platform model could happen for apps in the US,” said Ceci Stallsmith, head of marketing of Lovable, in a post on X. “Well done OAI [OpenAI] team.”
With newly integrated apps for accessibility, the major concern remains around data privacy. However, OpenAI suggests that developers “must collect only the minimum data required,” promising “transparency” as this new in-chat app ecosystem launches.
Also Read: ChatGPT Pulse Released: OpenAI’s Ultimate AI Personal Assistant with a Catch
In the near future, several other apps, including DoorDash, Uber, Khan Academy, Instacart, TripAdvisor, and AllTrails, are expected to be featured on this app platform. “This is just the start of apps in ChatGPT, bringing new utility to users and new opportunities for developers,” claimed OpenAI in its blog post.