OpenAI brings Booking.com, Spotify, Canva and more into ChatGPT with new in-app experiences

OpenAI has unveiled a significant enhancement to ChatGPT, introducing a groundbreaking system that empowers developers to create interactive applications directly within the chatbot. Starting this Monday, users will have the ability to engage with apps from renowned companies such as Booking.com, Expedia, Spotify, Figma, Coursera, Zillow, and Canva, all without leaving their ChatGPT conversations. This announcement was made during OpenAI’s annual developer conference, DevDay 2025. Alongside the app integrations, the company also presented a preview of its new Apps SDK, a toolkit aimed at simplifying the process for developers to create ChatGPT-compatible applications. CEO Sam Altman emphasized the vision behind this initiative, stating, “We want ChatGPT to be a great way for people to make progress, to be more productive, more inventive, to learn faster, and to enhance their lives.” He noted that the new apps will foster a generation of interactive, adaptive, and personalized experiences that users can engage with directly. This initiative is part of OpenAI’s efforts to establish a robust app ecosystem around ChatGPT. Unlike the previous GPT Store, which functioned as a standalone platform, the new system seamlessly integrates third-party tools right into the ChatGPT interface. Users can now invoke apps using natural language prompts, creating a more fluid workflow. For instance, a user might say, “Figma, turn this sketch into a workable diagram,” or request, “Coursera, can you teach me something about machine learning?” A demonstration of Zillow’s app showcased ChatGPT retrieving interactive maps of rental apartments tailored to user preferences. ChatGPT is designed to suggest relevant apps automatically. For example, if a user seeks a party playlist, the system might recommend the Spotify app. Future integrations are set to include services like DoorDash, Instacart, Uber, and AllTrails. The backbone of this new functionality is the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a secure framework that allows developers to connect their data sources with AI models. These apps can feature interactive interfaces, play embedded videos, and trigger specific actions within the chat environment. Users subscribed to supported services will have the opportunity to log into their accounts within ChatGPT for enhanced features. Altman also mentioned that OpenAI is looking to provide monetization avenues for developers, including payments via the newly introduced Instant Checkout feature. As with any significant technological advancement, privacy concerns are paramount. OpenAI has mandated that developers collect only the necessary data and ensure transparency regarding permissions. However, details on how much of a user's conversation history an app can access, or how ChatGPT will choose between competing services like DoorDash and Instacart, remain unclear. OpenAI asserts that user experience will be the guiding principle for how apps are surfaced and integrated into ChatGPT.