OpenAI has started a new chapter for ChatGPT, one that brings it closer to becoming an all-in-one app for everyday life. The company announced the launch of in-chat apps built with its new Apps SDK, allowing users to book hotels, make playlists, browse homes, and even design slides, all inside one chat window.
According to OpenAI, over 800 million people use ChatGPT, and the goal is to bring more value to them by making the chatbot an entry point for daily digital tasks. For now, the feature is available to users outside the UK and European Union, though OpenAI says it plans to extend availability soon.
The 7 launch partners: Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, Figma, Spotify and Zillow, are already live. Users can, for example, ask ChatGPT to find a hotel in Paris and the Booking.com app will show real-time listings directly in the chat. Or they can ask Canva to create a presentation from an outline without ever leaving the chatbot.
What Makes This New System Different?
The apps inside ChatGPT are powered by the new Apps SDK, which is built on the Model Context Protocol. This open standard lets developers connect ChatGPT to external tools and data, while also designing custom interfaces for their apps.
Developers can write their own code, connect their backend systems, and allow customers to log in or access premium features. OpenAI has made the SDK open source, saying this means the apps could work anywhere that adopts the same standard.
OpenAI has also emphasised safety. Every app must follow its usage policies, be suitable for all audiences, and have clear privacy policies that explain what data is shared. When a user connects an app for the first time, ChatGPT will show what information may be used. OpenAI also said it will soon allow more control over what kind of data each app can access.
Later this year, OpenAI will open submissions so developers can publish their apps in ChatGPT and even make money from them. The company plans to introduce a directory where users can browse and search apps. It also mentioned work on a new Agentic Commerce Protocol, which will let users complete instant payments inside the chat.
Could ChatGPT Become The Western WeChat?
Cybernews reports that ChatGPT’s new app integrations bring it closer to Elon Musk’s long-promised dream of an “everything app.” Musk, who co-founded OpenAI but left in 2018, has tried to build a rival through his company X, introducing a payment feature called XMoney and launching Grokipedia, an open-source encyclopedia. But his plans have been slowed by user mistrust and technical limitations.
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WeChat in China is often seen as the model for such a super app. It has about 1.5 billion monthly active users and allows everything from messaging to payments and shopping. But ChatGPT works differently. Chirag Agrawal, a lead engineer at Amazon, told Cybernews that ChatGPT acts more as “an intelligent middle layer” connecting different apps, rather than owning them outright. This makes it flexible, but it also means it cannot perform deep tasks like identity checks or payment processing on its own.
Agrawal believes ChatGPT may develop into a “smart task router,” helping people complete actions across apps rather than becoming a direct WeChat rival.
Cultural habits are another barrier because Americans and Europeans already use a range of established apps and may not want to centralise everything in one chat. Corey Forsyth, CEO at Blacklight Automations, told Cybernews that “behaviour change is one of the hardest things to pull off in tech – way harder than building features.”
Will ChatGPT Replace The Browser?
Some experts, as brought up by Cybernews, see the rise of ChatGPT’s apps as a challenge to web browsers. Apoorv Agrawal, an adjunct professor at Columbia University, said that ChatGPT could become “the default workplace start screen within 12 months.”
According to Datos, chatbots now account for 5.6% of desktop browser-based search traffic, which shows how people are beginning to use AI chat interfaces instead of search engines.
Chris Sorensen, CEO at ARMOR Dial, disagrees. He said it is unrealistic to believe chatbots could replace browsers for most daily tasks within the next three to five years. But ChatGPT is moving fast. Its new agentic system can already handle basic tasks such as analysing calendars and creating slideshows… things traditionally done through separate apps or web tabs.
Robert Keus, founder of GreenGPT, warned that this convenience comes at a cost. He said training and running large language models consume huge amounts of electricity and water to power and cool data centres. He added that not every task needs to be automated.
How Close Is ChatGPT To Becoming An Everything App?
Whether or not it reaches WeChat-level integration, ChatGPT has already done a lot towards centralising digital activity. It already allows people to plan trips, create designs, study courses, listen to music and search for homes — all in one chat.
OpenAI plans to roll out even more apps later this year, such as Uber, Target, and DoorDash. Once payments and business tools arrive, ChatGPT could easily become an everything a[[ for online activity in the West, one message at a time.
