OpenAI will let developers build apps that work inside ChatGPT

OpenAI is introducing a way to work with apps right inside ChatGPT. The idea is that, from within a conversation with the chatbot, you can essentially tag in apps to help you complete a task while ChatGPT offers context and advice.

The company showed off a few different ways this can work. In a live demo, an OpenAI employee launched ChatGPT and then asked Canva to create a poster of a name for a dog-walking business; after a bit of waiting, Canva came back with a few different examples, and the presenter followed up by asking for a generated pitch deck based on the poster. The employee also asked Zillow via ChatGPT to show homes for sale in Pittsburgh, and it created an interactive Zillow map — which the employee then asked follow-up questions about.

Apps available inside ChatGPT starting today will include Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, Figma, Spotify, and Zillow. In the “weeks ahead,” OpenAI will add more apps, such as DoorDash, OpenTable, Target, and Uber. ChatGPT recently started allowing users to make purchases on Etsy through the chatbot, part of its overall push to integrate it with the rest of the web.

Developers can access the SDK for making apps in preview starting today. Later this year, developers will be able to submit apps for review and publication, and OpenAI also plans to offer a directory for users to browse apps, according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The company will share guidance about monetization “soon,” Altman says.