OpenAI is introducing a new way for developers to build apps directly within ChatGPT. Starting Monday, ChatGPT users will be able to use interactive apps from giants like Booking.com, Expedia, Spotify, Figma, Coursera, Zillow, and Canva. In addition, OpenAI is also introducing a preview of the Apps SDK, a set of developer tools designed to build these apps.
OpenAI is introducing a new way for developers to build apps directly within ChatGPT. Starting Monday, ChatGPT users will be able to use interactive apps from giants like Booking.com, Expedia, Spotify, Figma, Coursera, Zillow, and Canva. In addition, OpenAI is also introducing a preview of the Apps SDK, a set of developer tools designed to build these apps.
OpenAI announced this at its annual developer conference, DevDay 2025, TechCrunch reports .
“We want ChatGPT to be a great tool for people to make progress, to be more productive, to be more inventive, to learn faster, to do better at everything they try to do in their lives,” said CEO Sam Altman. “The apps inside ChatGPT will create a new generation of apps that are interactive, adaptive, and personalized, and that you can chat with.”
The new system is another attempt by OpenAI to build an app ecosystem around its flagship AI product, ChatGPT. While OpenAI has previously allowed developers to create interactive apps, including through the GPT Store, this initiative is different. Unlike the GPT Store (which was a separate store), Monday’s launch embeds apps directly into ChatGPT responses, allowing users to invoke third-party tools in everyday conversations. This gives developers better distribution opportunities, and ChatGPT users a much more engaging and rich experience.
By typing the names of different apps into ChatGPT, users can retrieve content from different services. For example, to invoke the Figma app, users can simply say, “Figma, turn this sketch into a working diagram.” Or, to invoke the Coursera app, they can ask, “Coursera, can you teach me something about machine learning?”
The Zillow app demo showed that users could use natural language to ask ChatGPT to search for apartments in their neighborhood and price range. ChatGPT immediately displayed an interactive map with the results, after which users could chat with it to learn more about the offers.
ChatGPT will also suggest relevant apps when the user needs them. For example, if you ask for a playlist for a party this weekend, ChatGPT can launch the Spotify app right during the conversation. In the future, OpenAI promises to add apps like DoorDash, Instacart, Uber, and AllTrails to ChatGPT.
According to OpenAI, the new system uses MCP, which allows developers to connect their data sources to AI. This allows ChatGPT applications to perform actions and display a fully interactive interface in the chatbot’s responses. Some applications can even display videos directly in ChatGPT; they will be anchored on top of the web page and will change according to the user’s requests.
If users already have a subscription to a specific product, they will be able to log into their account directly in ChatGPT to access certain features. Altman also notes that in the future, OpenAI will support various ways to monetize apps within ChatGPT, including through ChatGPT’s recently launched Instant Checkout feature.
The main issues surrounding ChatGPT apps are privacy and the amount of data available to third-party developers. OpenAI requires developers to “collect only the minimum amount of data and provide transparency about permissions.” It is still unclear whether developers will be able to see a user’s entire ChatGPT conversation history, just previous messages, or just the request that activated the app.
It's also unclear exactly how ChatGPT will choose its service over competitors like DoorDash and Instacart. It's conceivable that companies could pay to have their services featured in ChatGPT's responses, but OpenAI says it plans to prioritize user experience over everything else.
