Hey there,

For a long time, ChatGPT has been an excellent chat tool for helping solve problems and generating ideas, but it couldn’t actually implement the solutions it helped create. That just changed. OpenAI’s new generation of ChatGPT Apps transform it from a tool that talks to you to a platform that can act for you. This means that ChatGPT can now help book a hotel, create custom playlists, or build a presentation, all without ever leaving your chat.

What Are ChatGPT Apps?

ChatGPT Apps are the tools that can be activated within your conversations to utilize new interactive experiences. While each experience has a unique purpose, they all allow ChatGPT to perform actions for you. This means that instead of ChatGPT responding with a generic text blurb, it will actually go and do something for you. So if I’m using the Apple Music app and ask it to create a playlist for me, it will actually open Apple Music and create a playlist instead of just giving me a list of songs.

The New App Store

There are already over 50 different apps that can be used in ChatGPT which means you’ll need an easy way to explore and search for the right ones. This is where ChatGPT’s new App Store comes in. You can open the App Store by clicking “Apps” in the upper left corner. From here we can see the different categories currently available. Most of the apps currently available were created with early launch partners, OpenAI explained that they are now accepting and reviewing developer made apps. As more developer-made apps are approved in the coming weeks, we can expect to see the number of apps expand rapidly. 

How to Use 

There are two main ways to access Apps within ChatGPT. You can manually select an app by clicking the “+” and then going to “More”. From here you’ll see all your connected apps and other ChatGPT tools. 

The easier and more natural way is to simply mention the app using “@”. You can do this whether you have an app installed or not. If you don’t you’ll then be prompted to connect that app before continuing with the conversation. 

My Thoughts

I love this new evolution of ChatGPT. It solves one of the core problems of custom GPTs by making apps seamlessly integrated into ChatGPT. I always found it frustrating that I couldn't call on a GPT mid conversation when I realized that base ChatGPT won’t cut it. These new experiences also mean that you won’t have to leave ChatGPT to get your answer. Now if I want to use ChatGPT to search for something at Target, I don't need to click through a bunch of links and can instead just use the Target interface built right into the chat experience. 

Opening these apps to developers means that we’ll get an explosion of new, unique use cases. I’m really excited to see what people are able to create but more importantly, I want to see just how powerful ChatGPT can become when you can access hundreds of different apps. OpenAI also explained that they are reviewing all apps before they can be published so hopefully this ensures a higher quality across the board. Ultimately, these new apps transform ChatGPT from a simple idea generator into a new ecosystem that can think of and implement solutions. 

The first batch of apps are live now and I highly recommend you go and try them out! This feels like it could be the next chapter of ChatGPT that focuses on chat-native applications.