ChatGPT Apps Are Here: Try the First Wave Now
▼ Summary
– OpenAI has integrated third-party app controls directly into ChatGPT, allowing users to interact with services like Spotify and Zillow without leaving the chatbot.
– Spotify’s integration enables users to search for music, generate playlists, and get recommendations, with Premium users receiving personalized track selections.
– Canva and Figma apps in ChatGPT let users create, edit, and preview designs or diagrams by providing prompts, then refine them further in their respective platforms.
– Zillow and Expedia integrations help users find real estate listings and travel options by querying ChatGPT for specific preferences, displaying results with details like pricing and availability.
– OpenAI plans to expand the app directory with services like Uber and DoorDash, and will allow more developers to submit apps that add value while adhering to design guidelines.
The initial wave of ChatGPT-integrated applications has officially arrived, bringing powerful new capabilities directly into the conversational interface. OpenAI has introduced a series of integrations that embed controls for popular services, allowing you to perform tasks like creating a Spotify playlist or searching Zillow for homes without ever leaving the chat window. This functionality resembles the mini-apps found within messaging platforms such as Telegram, but with a distinctly intelligent, AI-driven approach. You can maintain your conversation with ChatGPT while simultaneously directing it to interact with these connected applications on your behalf.
A number of services are already piloting these built-in app interfaces. Here is a look at the first ones available.
Spotify users can now link their account to ChatGPT. This enables you to search for an artist’s latest album or instruct the AI to generate a playlist featuring your favorite alternative rock bands. You can also ask for music or podcast recommendations based on the context of your chat, and Spotify will return a list of tracks you can tap to listen to directly in its app. The company clarifies that free users can source music from existing playlists like New Music Friday, while Premium subscribers can generate a completely fresh and personalized selection of tracks.
The Canva integration allows you to create, preview, and edit designs from within ChatGPT’s interface. You can command the AI with a prompt such as, “Create an Instagram post for our upcoming sale.” Canva will then generate full-screen design previews that you can further refine by asking ChatGPT to adjust the text or change the theme. Once the design meets your approval, you can open it in Canva for any final edits.
Similar to the Canva integration, Figma’s app can assist in creating diagrams from files on your computer, suggest edits to existing charts, and brainstorm various ways to visualize information. To jump into more detailed editing, you simply select the “Edit in Figma” button on any chart or diagram.
Zillow is rolling out its own ChatGPT app that taps into its extensive real estate database to find properties matching your criteria. You can ask questions like, “What homes can I afford nearby?” or request to “Show me homes with a big backyard.” Zillow’s integration will then present relevant listings complete with photos, maps, and pricing information. The app currently supports rentals and homes for sale by owners and agents, with plans to add features like new-construction listings and 3D home tours in the future.
While ChatGPT was already a useful tool for planning trips, the new Expedia integration takes it further. You can ask for specific accommodations, such as a “hotel room in New York for under $400 in November.” The Expedia app will provide a list of matching hotels, along with flight options, a destination map, and dynamic pricing and availability details. Booking.com has also launched a comparable integration.
Coursera has introduced a ChatGPT app that provides access to videos and information from its online learning platform. You can directly ask Coursera to teach you about a particular subject, and ChatGPT may also proactively recommend relevant content from the site during your conversations.
Several other major apps have been confirmed for future release on the platform. The upcoming lineup includes services from Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, OpenTable, Target, Peloton, Tripadvisor, and AllTrails. It is important to note that these apps are not currently available for users in the European Union.
Later this year, OpenAI plans to open submissions to a broader range of developers, who will be able to submit their own apps to be featured in a user-browsable directory. According to the company’s design guidelines, all apps must feel consistent, useful, and trustworthy, extending ChatGPT in ways that provide genuine value. Approved use cases include services for booking rides, ordering food, checking availability, or tracking deliveries. The guidelines explicitly discourage apps designed for long-form content, complex workflows, advertising, or irrelevant messaging.
(Source: The Verge)
