OpenAI just launched its own version of an app store, taking aim at Apple and Google (www.businessinsider.com)

OpenAI announced an in-ChatGPT “app store” at DevDay, bringing third‑party apps like Spotify, Zillow, Canva and Coursera directly into the chat experience and unveiling an SDK so developers can build conversational, adaptive apps. ChatGPT — which OpenAI says has 800 million weekly users — will prompt users the first time an app is mentioned to connect and choose what data to share, then run app functions via natural‑language requests (for example, “make me a Spotify playlist” or “show 2‑bedroom listings in Seattle”) with results rendered inside the chat. A browsable app directory and a prominence system for higher‑quality apps were also announced; app submissions and monetization details (including a new commerce feature for purchases inside ChatGPT) will follow later this year. For the AI/ML community this creates a new distribution and product model: developers can ship dynamic, stateful, conversational interfaces powered by OpenAI’s platform rather than traditional mobile app stores, potentially enabling faster scaling and richer integrations. It also raises technical and business implications — new SDK patterns for building interactive, context‑aware agents, built‑in commerce and monetization flows, and centralized platform control over discovery and data permissions. The move positions OpenAI as a potential challenger to Apple and Google for in‑app commerce and developer revenue, while also concentrating gatekeeping and privacy decisions within the ChatGPT ecosystem.