OpenAI plans to open its own app store

OpenAI, maker of the widely popular ChatGPT chatbot, plans to launch a marketplace that will allow developers to sell their artificial intelligence models built on its own technology, The Information reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the company’s discussions.

Enterprise customers using ChatGPT often customize the technology to their specific needs, which range from detecting financial fraud based on online transaction data to answering questions about specific markets based on internal documents. According to the announcement, the creators of such models can offer them to other companies through the alleged OpenAI marketplace.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed the potential plans during a meeting with developers in London last month, the report said.

Such a marketplace could compete with the app stores of some of the company’s customers and technology partners, including Salesforce and Microsoft, and help OpenAI reach a wider customer base.

The Information also reports that at least two clients of the company, Aquant, which makes software used by manufacturers to advise customers on device maintenance and repair, and educational app maker Khan Academy, may be interested in offering their ChatGPT-based AI models on the OpenAI market.

Since the release of ChatGPT late last year, hundreds of companies have been using it to automate tasks and improve efficiency. Companies are also rushing to offer their customers new tools and capabilities based on advanced large language AI software models.