OpenAI’s success in the market with its launch and persistent performance with ChatGPT as well as its latest language model GPT-4, has placed it firmly in the top position when compared to other competitors. To capitalize on their current advantages, OpenAI and its leaders have several plans to keep the momentum going. Among these is an app store for specially curated chatbots built on large language models offered by OpenAI. The company envisions a dedicated space to promote and provide users with niche chatbots that can carry out a variety of tasks when serving a bunch of different use cases. Several corporate clients such as Khan Academy have already shown considerable interest in the concept and are eager to back the firm’s expansion into AI app offerings. 

Though these applications’ uses are not entirely clear, it can be speculated that the AI apps offered on the app store will serve business clients to carry out functions such as detecting fraudulent communications, collecting feedback, or addressing customer complaints and inquiries. Essentially, the app store prospects extend the applicability of AI technologies to a broader audience and raise the extent of relevance. The launch of the app store—while still in its conceptual stages—provides considerable potential for the development of highly specific AI tools for various applications in the future. The upcoming sections analyze this development and what it can mean for the AI market.

AI Applications: What Does OpenAI’s App Store Entail?

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OpenAI’s app store might still be in its conceptual stages.

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman informed developers that a plan for creating an AI marketplace is being conceived to provide users and corporate clients with AI apps that can perform defined tasks. As the previous year has shown, generative AI and the potential for its usage have grown manifold. Various industries have drawn up elaborate plans to augment or incorporate their mode of operations to make the best of AI while balancing human intelligence with these modern algorithms. Witnessing growing potential, OpenAI seems to have decided on extending its already extant lead to capitalize on its renowned language models. The app store might compete with alternatives offered by other tech giants such as Microsoft, who have already explored and implemented a similar concept. Despite the company’s chief executive mentioning the idea, there’s no concrete conceptual plan for executing these visions as yet. The proposed marketplace, however, could provide other businesses with a bot that does as they specifically require, as opposed to procuring a complete language model chatbot that might require several optimizations to function based on their preferences. 

Growing rivalries between OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic might be further galvanized by OpenAI’s application marketplace, furthering the brand’s interest in monopolizing the AI space. OpenAI’s plugins have been quite an effective way to reach several customers, alongside the introduction of more pointed tools integrated with the LLM mainframe, such as the code interpreter. Apart from competing with rival firms, OpenAI might also begin competing with Microsoft and Salesforce, given that their offerings in this regard might be similar. However, these developments might not add any amount of unexpected stress on their corporate partnerships, since these firms have been consistent in collaborating as well as infusing funds into the formidable AI startup. These discussions also appear at a time when OpenAI is busy upgrading its extant GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 language models in a bid to enhance quality.

How Will OpenAI’s App Store Function?

A robotic arm using a laptop

AI apps will further enhance the percolation of AI in daily life.

While there are no concrete plans on how OpenAI’s app marketplace might function, it can be speculated that it might be based on existing plans deployed in OpenAI’s plugins suite. The plugins suite currently also hosts options from third-party developers, but no such information is available surrounding a similar development for OpenAI’s app store. Currently, discussions only involve those chatbots that are built using the firm’s flagship language models. The company’s clients Aquant and Khan Academy have already elicited interest in hosting their GPT-based chatbots on the company’s future app store. The app store will also function to ensure OpenAI’s offerings are more accessible to potential users. AI apps will be sustainable and economical options for users looking to solve straightforward problems or address rather simplistic tasks with artificial intelligence. 

Apart from enhanced visibility and reach, the app store will also allow OpenAI to directly supervise the augmentation of its key offerings to suit niche requirements. Besides relying on distribution channels and other platforms to allow users to access OpenAI’s applications, the firm can avoid the necessity of middlemen and bridge forums. In addition, just like plugin support, OpenAI could also enhance engagement with third-party developers directly working to provide these applications on its platform. With AI-generated content making its way to a wide variety of applications, the potential for highly-specific AI algorithms is steadily on the rise. From coding to image generation, there is a vast trove of combinations that are yet to be explored. The app store will function to resolve these gaps in requirements.

The Future of AI Apps

A person using ChatGPT on their laptop

AI applications will improve engagement across OpenAI’s existing offerings.

Artificial intelligence has steadily grown in reach as well as accessibility over the past year. Given that rudimentary forms of autonomous algorithms were already well-integrated with human life, the next stage of machine learning is here to further transform the way humans interact with computers and utilize them to simplify their lives. While operations extend from simplistic AI writing to highly convoluted data analytics use cases, AI applications can be tailored to fit a vast array of necessities. OpenAI’s intent to build an applications marketplace is the first step toward a more accessible AI infrastructure that promises to simplify tasks while also enhancing human productivity. However, it must be noted that pointed regulations surrounding AI and its use are still undergoing debate and it will be a while until governments ratify dedicated AI policies to monitor these technologies.

FAQs

1. What will OpenAI’s app store do?

Though there’s limited information, OpenAI’s app store might serve to host AI-based applications that are derived from the firm’s flagship language models GPT-3.5 and GPT-4. These applications can be used to fit tailored use cases such as customer support, data analysis, or image generation among others.

2. Are AI apps plugins?

No, AI applications are distinct from plugins. While AI applications are fully functional truncated versions of a language model in themselves, plugins serve to add functionalities to an existing language model. Plugins also connect LLMs like GPT-3.5 and 4 to the internet. 

3. Is OpenAI’s app store functional?

OpenAI’s application marketplace was mentioned by the company’s CEO in a discussion with developers in London. However, the firm has not confirmed whether or not they’re working on the app store currently.