OpenAI appears to be working on new ChatGPT features that may be available to users in the near future. ChatGPT will enable developers to publish apps and AI agents directly within the AI chatbot, making them accessible to users immediately. If the feature sounds familiar, that’s because ChatGPT already lets any user create custom chatbots and publish them on the GPT Store. Reports from AI enthusiasts Tibor Blaho and TestingCatalog this week included screenshots of the work-in-progress project at OpenAI, suggesting that a launch may be imminent.
Blaho, who routinely discovers unreleased features in AI products, shared the images of the upcoming feature on X. One of them shows the purported welcome screen OpenAI will use for apps inside ChatGPT, suggesting an Apps menu might be available in the chat app. Several apps are listed in the store, including Instacart and Gmail. A separate screenshot shows a listing for a single app, Expedia, which mimics the appearance of mobile app stores. The app listing includes screenshots, a description, and an information section. A Connect button will supposedly allow users to link their ChatGPT account to the app, so they can use ChatGPT in conjunction with the travel service.
When will ChatGPT support third-party apps?
It’s not just third-party apps that may become available to ChatGPT users in the near future. TestingCatalog published several screenshots that show the app will let third-party developers publish workflows inside the app, including AI agents that other users may choose to incorporate into their daily ChatGPT usage. For example, the blog details a feature codenamed Hermes that allows developers to create custom agent workflows with the Agent Builder tool that OpenAI announced earlier. Developers will be able to publish these agentic workflows to ChatGPT, with each workflow getting its own URL. TestingCatalog also notes that OpenAI will introduce image generation support to the workflow builder. Interestingly, OpenAI may unveil a new image generation model.
The ChatGPT 4o image generation model went viral earlier this year, well before Google launched the Nano Banana and Nano Banana Pro models. An upgrade to ChatGPT’s image generation capabilities might be due, considering the advancements we saw from Google recently. Finally, TestingCatalog also mentions ChatGPT’s imminent support for third-party apps that OpenAI announced and Blaho identified. Considering the leaked screenshots, OpenAI seems to be in advanced stages of testing the feature. It’s unclear when OpenAI will launch these new features, but TestingCatalog speculates the AI firm may include them in a December launch event similar to last year. In 2024, OpenAI hosted a 12 Days of OpenAI event before Christmas, with each day bringing a brand new AI announcement.
