ChatGPT aims to turn into an 'Operating System', here's what it means
OpenAI faces stiff competition from Google, Anthropic, and Amazon, while rivals such as Meta and DeepSeek are releasing open-source AI models.
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OpenAI has unveiled plans to integrate third-party apps directly into ChatGPT, signalling the company’s ambition to transform the AI chatbot into a fully interactive operating system. Speaking at OpenAI’s annual developer conference in San Francisco, CEO Sam Altman described the move as a step towards “a new generation of apps that are adaptive, interactive, and personalised, that you can chat with.”
A preview version of a new software development kit (SDK) is now available to select developers, enabling them to build apps within ChatGPT using open standards. For the time being, distribution is limited to a small group of major partners. During the keynote, Altman demonstrated apps from Spotify, Canva, and Zillow operating seamlessly inside ChatGPT.
In one demonstration, OpenAI engineer Alexi Christakis directed ChatGPT to create posters for a dog-walking business using Canva, draft a pitch deck to secure funding, and even recommend the ideal city to expand operations—Pittsburgh, according to the AI. Christakis then tapped the Zillow ChatGPT app to display homes in the city, narrowing results to three-bedroom properties with yards via an interactive map.
Altman also outlined future monetisation plans for ChatGPT apps, including an agentic commerce protocol that would allow users to make instant purchases directly through the chatbot.
This marks OpenAI’s latest attempt to embed apps within ChatGPT. The company first introduced custom GPT widgets two years ago, and the GPT Store, launched in January 2024, attracted over 3 million custom GPTs. However, the widgets did not achieve widespread adoption. Details of any revenue-sharing arrangements with highlighted apps like Canva, Zillow, and Spotify were not disclosed, as per a report by Wired.
According to Wired, speaking after the keynote, Nick Turley, head of product for ChatGPT, emphasised that OpenAI never intended to build just a chatbot. “We meant to build a super assistant, and we got a little sidetracked,” he said, noting that natural language processing remains the company’s core strength. Turley suggested that ChatGPT could serve as a starting point for users’ daily digital activities, guiding them to other apps and websites.
OpenAI faces stiff competition from Google, Anthropic, and Amazon, while rivals such as Meta and DeepSeek are releasing open-source AI models that allow developers to customise advanced AI tools without relying on OpenAI’s APIs. The race to position ChatGPT as a central hub for digital workflows is now on.
