OpenAI’s Walled-Garden Moment

OpenAI on Monday unveiled its biggest-yet effort to bring all of the web’s consumer activities directly into ChatGPT, as it aims to turn the chatbot into a so-called superapp that people can use to control any app in their lives—similar to Facebook’s efforts from 15 years ago. 

But before we get too excited, we should remember we’ve been here before. The “apps in ChatGPT” feature allows people to access apps like Spotify or Zillow directly in the chatbot, simply by starting prompts with the name of the outside company. (“Zillow, show me a house to buy in Brooklyn.”) It’s a much improved version of “ChatGPT plugins,” a short-lived feature launched in March 2023 which similarly allowed ChatGPT users to access third-party apps to, for instance, ask Expedia to plan a trip or ask OpenTable for help booking a reservation.

Also on Monday, during its annual developer conference, OpenAI launched new features to make it easier for app developers to use artificial intelligence that takes actions on behalf of users, known as agents, in an effort to unlock revenue from enterprises that have found the technology too difficult to implement. The new feature—AgentKit—simplifies the process of making agents.

That feature also sounds similar to OpenAI’s “Assistants API” or its “GPT Store,” both of which were announced at its developer day two years ago. In fact, an OpenAI staffer used the feature to make a working chatbot to answer questions about the developer day schedule, similar to the custom chatbots you used to be able to make in the GPT Store.