OpenAI turns ChatGPT into an app platform, bringing Spotify, Canva, and others inside the chat

ChatGPT

OpenAI is launching a new way for developers to build and integrate interactive applications directly inside ChatGPT, marking a significant step in turning the AI assistant into a full ecosystem. Starting this week, ChatGPT users can access apps from partners such as Booking.com, Spotify, Figma, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, and Zillow — all without leaving the chat window.

At the company’s annual DevDay event, CEO Sam Altman said the goal is to make ChatGPT “a great way for people to make progress — to be more productive, more inventive, and to learn faster.” Altman described these in-chat apps as “interactive, adaptive, and personalised,” opening the door to entirely new kinds of digital experiences.

Developers can now use OpenAI’s new Apps SDK, currently in preview, to build and distribute apps within ChatGPT. Unlike the earlier GPT Store — which functioned as a separate marketplace — these apps live inside ChatGPT’s responses. Users can invoke them naturally by typing commands like “Figma, turn this sketch into a diagram,” or “Coursera, teach me about machine learning.”

In a demo, Zillow’s app allowed users to chat about local apartments while an interactive map appeared directly within ChatGPT. The system can also automatically suggest relevant apps — for instance, summoning Spotify when someone asks for a party playlist. Future integrations are expected from DoorDash, Uber, Instacart, and AllTrails.

Under the hood, the system runs on OpenAI’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling developers to connect external data sources and trigger app actions inside ChatGPT. Some apps can even render videos or dynamic UIs within conversations.

Users can log in to existing accounts, and OpenAI plans to introduce monetisation soon via Instant Checkout. Still, questions remain around data privacy and how competing apps will be prioritised. OpenAI says developers must collect only the “minimum data required,” promising transparency as this new in-chat app ecosystem takes shape.