OpenAI Scales Back Shopping Plans for ChatGPT

OpenAI is scaling back its plan to introduce shopping directly inside ChatGPT, marking a change in its high-profile effort to put checkouts inside the chatbot. Instead of allowing users to make purchases directly from product listings that show up in ChatGPT search results, the company is now focused on having checkouts take place inside of specific apps that plug into ChatGPT, an OpenAI spokesperson said.

The reasons for the change of heart are unclear, although only a small number of merchants have been selling goods through checkouts inside ChatGPT. OpenAI staff had realized that while ChatGPT users were researching products to buy in the chatbot, they weren’t using the chatbot to actually help them make purchases, one person familiar with the project said.