ChatGPT becomes an app platform
OpenAI used its Dev Day on Tuesday to lay out a plan that reaches beyond individual product launches. The company introduced app suggestions inside ChatGPT, a new extensions architecture, a "Sign in with ChatGPT" identity layer, and autonomous agents called Dots. Combined, these moves position ChatGPT as a distribution channel that could rival Apple's and Google's app stores.
The chatbot now counts 1.2 billion weekly users, according to OpenAI. That scale has not yet translated into a discovery mechanism for software. The company wants to change that by suggesting apps mid-conversation when it detects one could help a user finish a task. Users can then connect the app and use it without leaving ChatGPT.
Extensions turn ChatGPT into a workspace
OpenAI's plugin architecture now supports extensions, which let developers build interactive panels inside the ChatGPT interface. A user could review a Figma design, edit an Adobe file, or check a calendar without opening a separate application. Developers who sign on can build AI-native versions of their products through ChatGPT, the same way they would for the web or a mobile app store.
In a demo, OpenAI showed a meeting app running inside ChatGPT. The user saw upcoming meetings from their calendar, chose to have AI take notes, and received a summary of follow-up items when the meeting ended. Apps built this way can also be shared through the lightweight websites ChatGPT now produces. Coworkers can sign in with their own credentials, keeping the experience personalized to each person.
Identity, review, and a marketplace
"Sign in with ChatGPT" lets users carry their existing AI allowance into third-party apps. OpenAI has 16 launch partners, including Notion, Vercel, and Cognition's Devin, with plans to add more. The company also updated its plugin review process. Developers can now track their submission, see what needs fixing, request a human review, and update tools without restarting the whole process.
OpenAI announced an enterprise app marketplace with more than 30 partners at launch, including Adobe, Figma, Salesforce, ServiceNow, HubSpot, and Palo Alto Networks. Eligible customers can apply part of their OpenAI commitment toward approved partner software. The company did not announce a billing or revenue-sharing system comparable to traditional app stores.
Dots shift discovery to agents
OpenAI's autonomous agents, called Dots, run in their own cloud infrastructure with a browser and connected apps. A user describes what they want done, and the agent executes it. Dots can connect to OpenAI's ecosystem of more than 4,000 apps and can perform proactive research in the background using read-only access, with user approval required before actions are taken.
This changes the relationship between users and software. Instead of searching for the right tool, a user may be offered one by their agent. App makers gain another route to customers outside Apple and Google's stores, though OpenAI has not said these features would remove the need for separate third-party subscriptions.
For professionals tracking where AI strategy is heading, the Dev Day announcements are worth studying alongside practical training in how to use these tools. ChatGPT Courses cover the platform's evolving capabilities, while AI for Executives Courses address the strategic implications of shifts like these.
Why this matters for executives and strategy
OpenAI is building the infrastructure of an app economy: discovery, distribution, identity, and review. The missing piece is monetization. Executives evaluating channel strategy should watch whether OpenAI adds a revenue-sharing layer, because that would make ChatGPT a direct competitor to the app stores that currently take a cut of software revenue. Product teams should also consider whether an AI-native version of their app inside ChatGPT is worth building before the channel becomes crowded.
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