OpenAI’s long-standing plan to introduce a dedicated app-store-like model for GPTs has finally come to fruition with the GPT store going online in January 2024. The store seeks to provide a platform for independent GPT developers to host useful bots that can be adopted into the ChatGPT interface by other users for highly specific use cases. More importantly, the move also expands the available offerings on OpenAI’s platforms beyond the boundaries of company-built infrastructure. In addition, custom GPTs built by independent developers and enthusiasts also enhance the overall engagement on OpenAI’s platform, potentially leading to greater traffic and subsequent conversions. According to OpenAI, there have been more than 3 million user-created GPTs, and the number is steadily increasing.
OpenAI’s GPT Store also allows users to optimize their chatbot use to the best degree, allowing them to adopt useful tools to enhance their overall experience on the chatbot interface. The GPT store was originally announced in November 2023, before it was delayed to December, and finally saw the light of day only in January 2024. Allowing people to share their own enhancements to the chatbot, OpenAI also announced that it would commence the revenue-sharing program for GPTs with considerable numbers of users starting in the first quarter of 2024. Currently, only paid subscribers of ChatGPT can use these customized bots since the feature is included in the ChatGPT Plus service.
How Do Custom GPTs Work?
Custom GPTs allow for holistic expansion of the overall ChatGPT platform.
Custom GPTs can be created by ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users to add highly specific functions and parameters to extant versions of OpenAI’s chatbot. Based on functionality, they can range from simple to highly complex bots that perform key tasks based on user requirements. Besides hosting GPTs, OpenAI’s GPT Store will also function to store and classify various GPTs under specific categories. By using the Create feature on ChatGPT’s platform, users can create their GPTs with the relevant tools and also add necessary knowledge bases. Upon creation, these GPTs can be shared on the GPT Store, which happens to be a public forum. Based on the usage the custom GPT receives, users can receive monetary rewards and compensation for their contributions. Custom GPTs demonstrate a unique evolution of language models and their associated generative AI chatbots, opening up a world of customization.
Since the community will host a variety of custom GPTs and creators from multiple sources, OpenAI is also focused on offering verified GPTs from legitimate and prominent creators. OpenAI has also instilled a review system to enable responsible AI practices and to weed out malicious or harmful GPTs that might enter the store. Besides basic ethical requirements, custom GPTs will also have to adhere to OpenAI’s usage policies and relevant terms. With OpenAI’s host of tools, even users not familiar with advanced programming techniques can build custom GPTs and host them on the platform.
The Prospects for OpenAI’s GPT Store
Custom GPTs can perform functions based on their knowledge base and design.
The GPT Store from OpenAI resembles existing app stores that exist for mobile devices. It brings together talents from diverse sources and pools them together to enhance the capabilities of the underlying generative AI model. Besides generating content on the platform, users can utilize custom GPTs for simple tasks, such as AI writing, or complex applications, such as big data and analytics. The GPT Store hosts a variety of options, ranging from poetry and image generators to complex data extraction protocols that can assist users with highly sensitive use cases. With the number consistently growing, OpenAI expects to build a thriving community of developers that will consistently push the boundaries of ingenuity and enhance the overall experience of users.
The segregation of GPTs based on the relevant use cases also makes it simpler for users to deploy the respective bots within ChatGPT and use them accordingly. Overall, the concept of introducing third-party developers to the OpenAI GPT Store will result in a more holistic approach to the AI industry, essentially opening up the market to new ideas and opportunities. Similar to Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, OpenAI intends to build a lasting community to enhance consistent engagement with its products and offerings in the long term. Moreover, it will also allow OpenAI to have an edge over competitors such as Google, who have been enhancing their efforts to get ahead in the AI market with LLMs such as Gemini.
The Future of AI Chatbots and Custom GPTs
Chatbots will enter a new era with the introduction and popularity of custom GPTs.
As AI chatbots evolve, newer features and capabilities are bound to be inserted to keep them relevant to changing necessities. Given that artificial intelligence has already made an indelible impact on numerous domains of human activity, customization will only further enhance the motivation to deploy AI in several fields. While there remain concerns such as bias, hallucination, and copyright, consistent demand has fueled steady developments in the field and will continue to in the long run. With firms like OpenAI making the push for greater third-party participation and the shift to a platform-based approach, other firms like Google and Anthropic are also bound to catch up and adopt similar approaches.
FAQs
1. Can free users access OpenAI’s GPT Store?
No, the GPT Store feature is available only to paid subscribers belonging to the ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise tiers.
2. Who can create custom GPTs?
Custom GPTs can be created by just about anyone with access to ChatGPT’s Create platform. Even individuals with limited programming knowledge can create and publish custom GPTs on the platform.
3. Will GPT creators be paid?
Yes, creators of successful GPTs will be able to monetize their creations, and the program will kick off in the first quarter of 2024.