OpenAI launches “apps in ChatGPT” — the next wave in AI
OpenAI just dropped something massive — ChatGPT apps.
What started as a chat interface for information is quickly becoming the new platform layer for the internet.
This isn’t just an upgrade. It’s the start of a shift in how we’ll use software entirely.
What’s Actually New
The big idea: developers can now build apps inside ChatGPT.
Through OpenAI’s new Apps SDK, companies like Spotify, Canva, Expedia, Coursera, Figma, Zillow, and Booking.com have already integrated their services. You can now tell ChatGPT things like:
“Make me a road-trip playlist in Spotify.”
“Find me a 3-bedroom house in Cornwall on Zillow.”
“Design a travel poster in Canva.”
ChatGPT then pulls up interactive results inside the chat, not on a new website or app. It’s powered by an open standard called the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — essentially a framework that lets different apps safely plug into ChatGPT’s ecosystem.
There’s also something called the Agentic Commerce Protocol — meaning you’ll soon be able to make purchases and complete bookings without ever leaving ChatGPT.
In short: it’s no longer just a chat tool. It’s a super app — or maybe more accurately, an AI operating system.
Why It Matters
This move has the potential to completely redefine how people use digital services. Here’s why it’s such a big deal:
1. The AI Becomes the Interface
Until now, we’ve used operating systems (iOS, Android, Windows) to open apps.
With this change, ChatGPT becomes the layer above all of that — the interface that talks to every other app for you.
You won’t open Spotify, Expedia, or Canva — you’ll just ask ChatGPT to handle it. That’s a profound shift in where the user experience lives.
2. No More App-Hopping
Think about how fragmented your workflow is today.
You research a trip in one app, book in another, design an itinerary in a third, and pay through a fourth. ChatGPT’s apps tie all that together — one seamless, conversational flow from idea to action.
The barrier between thinking and doing is disappearing.
3. Powerful Tools for Everyone
Tools like Figma, Coursera, or Canva can be complex for new users. Embedding them directly inside ChatGPT makes them instantly accessible.
You don’t need to know how to use design software — you just ask the AI to do it for you.
That could make powerful creative and analytical tools available to anyone, anywhere.
4. A New Kind of App Store
OpenAI isn’t just creating integrations — it’s creating an ecosystem.
With in-chat payments and transactions coming soon, this could evolve into a new type of app store — but driven by conversation, not icons.
That puts OpenAI in direct competition with Apple and Google’s traditional app store models. It could reshape how software is distributed, monetized, and discovered.
5. Early Challenges
Of course, not everything is smooth sailing:
Europe is excluded from the initial rollout (thanks to regulatory complexity).
Developers will demand transparency on how apps are ranked, accessed, and monetized.
Data privacy and liability questions will grow — who’s responsible if something goes wrong?
And users may need time to trust AI with purchases, personal data, and decision-making.
Still, every major platform shift starts with friction. What matters is the direction — and this one is huge.
The Big Picture: Why This Could Change Everything
If OpenAI executes this vision, ChatGPT won’t just be another app — it’ll be the layer that connects all other apps together.
Here’s where this could lead:
Software gets rearchitected — instead of standalone tools, we’ll have composable chat-based modules.
Workflows collapse — the distance between idea and execution shrinks dramatically.
Access expands — the gap between “power user” and “casual user” disappears.
Commerce evolves — buying, booking, creating all happen in one universal interface.
Platform dominance shifts — we could see the first real challenge to Apple’s and Google’s control of digital ecosystems.
In short: ChatGPT could become the new browser, the new OS, and maybe even the new internet interface — all rolled into one.
The Bottom Line
OpenAI’s new ChatGPT apps aren’t just a cool update — they mark the start of a new era in computing.
An era where we stop opening apps, and start talking to them.
For now, we’re seeing the first wave — Spotify, Canva, Expedia, and friends. But imagine what happens when every SaaS, every tool, and every business plugs into this ecosystem.
ChatGPT isn’t just changing how we chat. It’s quietly changing how the entire digital world works.