OpenAI’s latest move has officially turned ChatGPT into more than just a conversational assistant – it’s now a platform. With the introduction of apps inside ChatGPT and a new Apps SDK that lets developers build directly for it, OpenAI is positioning its flagship product as a digital ecosystem where users can do everything from booking trips to building designs – without ever leaving the chat.
The early lineup is impressive: Canva, Coursera, Expedia, Figma, Spotify, Zillow, and Booking.com are among the first wave of companies integrating into ChatGPT’s interface. Each brings a distinct service, but their motivations converge on the same point – they all want to be where users increasingly are: inside AI conversations.
Also read: DevDay 2025: OpenAI brings third-party apps inside ChatGPT, check details
This isn’t OpenAI’s first experiment with external tools. Earlier attempts with “plugins” in 2023 hinted at the potential, but the new apps framework is more polished, more integrated, and far more ambitious. It allows users to directly invoke partner services by name – “Spotify, make me a focus playlist” or “Canva, design a poster for my café.”
Apps in ChatGPT are interactive and contextual. Instead of redirecting users to websites, they deliver dynamic results inside the chat window. You can preview a design, explore a course, or browse homes on Zillow, all without breaking the flow of conversation.
Underneath it all sits OpenAI’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), a new open standard for connecting AI systems to external data and tools. MCP is what allows ChatGPT to talk to these services securely, passing only the data required for each task.
Also read: OpenAI DevDay 2025: Jony Ive hints at AI devices that ‘make us happy’
For platforms like Canva and Figma, ChatGPT offers a direct line to millions of users who already rely on AI for creative tasks. “If you think about how people ideate now, it often starts with a prompt,” said one Canva product manager. “Integrating with ChatGPT lets us meet users at that moment of inspiration.”
For Coursera, the motivation is similar but more educational. A user might ask ChatGPT for help learning Python, and the assistant could instantly surface a Coursera course, preview its modules, or even enroll the user directly. The AI becomes both a tutor and a gateway to structured learning.
Travel platforms like Expedia and Booking.com see this as the next phase of digital convenience. Instead of toggling between websites to compare hotels or flights, users can ask ChatGPT to summarize options, check availability, and even make reservations in one conversational flow.
The rush also speaks to a bigger shift in how tech companies think about discovery. For years, app stores and search engines have been the main gateways to digital content. But as AI interfaces become more personalized, contextual, and voice-driven, traditional discovery channels risk being displaced. Being inside ChatGPT could soon be as critical as being at the top of a Google search.
With the Apps SDK, developers can now build experiences that merge natural language with interactive logic, think of a Spotify playlist builder that adapts to your chat history or a design tool that evolves as you refine your prompt.
OpenAI is currently offering this SDK in preview, but developers can already test and deploy apps privately through a new Developer Mode inside ChatGPT. The company promises monetization and app store-style discovery later this year, signaling an eventual ecosystem where AI-native apps could flourish.
Analysts are calling it an “App Store moment” for AI, a comparison that feels apt. Apple’s App Store catalyzed the mobile software revolution; OpenAI’s ecosystem could do the same for AI services.
Of course, all this integration comes with data considerations. Every time you connect an app, you’re asked to grant permissions and view what data will be shared. OpenAI emphasizes transparency, saying apps must disclose their privacy policies and collect only what’s necessary. Still, privacy experts warn that centralizing so much personal and behavioral data inside a single interface poses new challenges.
OpenAI says more apps, including AllTrails, Peloton, Uber, and Target, are on the way. In the coming months, it plans to expand access to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users, followed by a public app directory and monetization options.
For now, the message from the tech world is clear: the future of app interaction might not live on your phone’s home screen – it might live in a conversation. And that’s exactly where Canva, Coursera, and hundreds of other digital services want to be when the next wave of AI-native computing takes off.
Also read: From GPT-5 Pro to Sora 2: Every major announcement from OpenAI DevDay 2025
