OpenAI DevDay 2025: ChatGPT Becomes an App Platform Gamechanger
If you thought ChatGPT was just a chatty AI, buckle up! At OpenAI DevDay 2025, ChatGPT officially transformed into a bustling app platform, turning your AI buddy into a super app playground. This isn’t just about chatting anymore — it’s about running entire apps inside ChatGPT, thanks to the new Apps SDK and cool tools like AgentKit and GPT-5 Pro.
Key Takeaways
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- ChatGPT as an app platform: ChatGPT now hosts interactive mini apps you can use without leaving the chat — a whole new way to multitask with AI.
- Apps SDK is the magic wand: Developers get a new open-source toolkit to build apps that live inside ChatGPT using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), making apps stateful and conversational.
- AgentKit supercharges workflows: Build, deploy, and optimize AI agents with drag-and-drop tools, observability, and auto-optimization — no coding wizardry required.
- Cutting-edge new models: GPT-5 Pro powers precise professional tasks; Sora 2 spices things up with video and sound generation; and more affordable mini models lower the entry bar.
- Conversational commerce is here: In-chat checkout linked with Stripe means you can buy stuff without leaving the conversation, ushering in “agentic commerce.”
- Built for scale and safety: With 800M+ weekly users and strict privacy policies, this platform is designed for real-world use and trust.
What it is
The core of OpenAI DevDay 2025 is a bold shift: ChatGPT is no longer just an AI chat assistant, it’s a full app platform. But what does that mean?
Instead of just answering isolated questions, ChatGPT can now host tiny apps right in your chat window. These apps keep context, remember what you did (stateful), and let you interact over multiple turns — think Canva-style designing, order tracking, or scheduling, all baked into your conversation.
This jump changes how AI works from a question-answer engine to an operating system for conversational apps that can seamlessly mix chat and action.
Core features and why they matter
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- Apps SDK: This developer kit builds on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — an open standard ensuring apps can plug in smoothly and keep chat context alive. It’s open source, so developers can innovate fast and apps can run anywhere MCP is adopted.
- AgentKit: A toolkit for making multi-step agents that handle complex workflows, with user-friendly drag-and-drop tools and real-time monitoring. It’s the bot-building equivalent of giving your AI a Swiss Army knife.
- New AI Models: GPT-5 Pro tackles precision-heavy tasks in healthcare, finance, and legal fields, while Sora 2 adds video (plus sound!) generation to apps, opening fresh creative doors.
- In-Chat App Store: Users can discover and enable apps within ChatGPT without hopping to another site, smoothing the way for app discovery and usage.
- Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP): Partnered with Stripe, this enables merchants to support AI-driven orders with seamless instant checkout inside chats — hello, conversational commerce!
How it works in practice (step-by-step)
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- Discover apps inside ChatGPT’s in-chat marketplace.
- Enable your favorite apps for ongoing, interactive conversations.
- Use apps like you chat — ask for tasks, iterate, export results, or finalize purchases.
- Developers build apps using Apps SDK, designing both chat logic and interfaces connected directly to backend services.
- App privacy and permissions are clear: ChatGPT prompts you on data sharing, and safety policies ensure a trustworthy experience.
Use cases
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- Creative pros: Design posters or videos with Sora 2 without leaving ChatGPT.
- Healthcare and finance: Use GPT-5 Pro powered apps for precise, specialized advice or document prep.
- E-commerce: Shop with in-chat instant checkout, powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol.
- Coding and automation: Developers can automate coding tasks using the new Codex SDK and build embedding agents with AgentKit.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Seamless app usage inside chat | Apps still in early preview phase |
| Rich developer toolkit (SDK) | Learning curve for new tools |
| Broad ecosystem with 800M users | Monetization relies on developers |
| Advanced AI models for varied tasks | Privacy controls will evolve |
Pricing and access
The Apps SDK and AgentKit are currently in preview, inviting developers to experiment early. GPT-5 Pro and other advanced models are priced premium (e.g., GPT-5 Pro costs more than smaller variants). Pricing is usage-based, with cheaper mini models enabling cost-effective solutions.
Best practices and common mistakes
- Best practice: Start small with conversational apps leveraging existing backend services.
- Avoid: Building stateless, one-off calls; embrace the app’s ability to maintain context.
- Remember: Comply with privacy and ethical guidelines to keep user trust.
FAQs
Q: What is the Apps SDK? A: A developer toolkit that allows you to build apps inside ChatGPT that keep conversation context and have interactive interfaces.
Q: How does ChatGPT app store work? A: It lets users find and enable apps directly in the chat, no external downloads needed.
Q: What is AgentKit? A: A set of tools to build and optimize AI agents capable of complex workflows inside ChatGPT.
Q: Can I monetize my ChatGPT app? A: Monetization is developer-controlled, with opportunities like subscription or premium access; OpenAI enforces privacy and safety guidelines.
Q: What’s special about GPT-5 Pro? A: GPT-5 Pro is OpenAI’s most precise model, ideal for sensitive domains like healthcare and finance.
Conclusion
OpenAI DevDay 2025 marks a pivotal moment where ChatGPT transforms from a friendly chatbot into a vibrant app platform, unlocking a new frontier of conversational apps and AI-first distribution. Whether you’re a developer eager to build the next killer app or a user wanting seamless chat-to-action experiences, this evolution promises to reshape how services are delivered and consumed. The future looks interactive, conversational, and way more fun — all within your favorite AI chat. Keep your eyes peeled and your dev tools ready because the app ecosystem inside ChatGPT is just getting warmed up.
Explore the Apps SDK preview and learn more about the future of AI platforms at OpenAI’s official DevDay 2025 and the comprehensive Apps introduction pages.
Also, dive into practical insights on how ChatGPT’s app platform reshapes software in this overview by AI Agents Directory.
