OpenAI launches interactive ChatGPT Apps & the new AgentKit toolkit for building AI agents

OpenAI has introduced interactive ChatGPT Apps, letting users access external services like Spotify, Coursera, Figma, Booking.com, Zillow, and Canva directly within ChatGPT. Built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), these apps connect securely to external data sources and deliver interactive interfaces in chat responses. The launch builds on OpenAI’s earlier GPT Store initiative, which allowed developers to publish custom GPTs separately; now, apps are fully integrated into ChatGPT’s interface for a more direct experience.

Users can interact with these apps through natural language, such as asking Spotify to create a playlist for a specific event based on personal music preferences or requesting Coursera to explain a topic. ChatGPT can also surface relevant apps automatically depending on the conversation. To support developers, OpenAI released a preview of its Apps SDK for building and testing custom ChatGPT apps. The company plans to enable integrated logins, introduce Instant Checkout for app monetization, and expand third-party support to platforms like DoorDash, Instacart, Uber, and AllTrails.

Alongside this, OpenAI launched AgentKit, a toolkit to simplify the creation and deployment of AI agents, comparable to tools like n8n or LangChain. It includes an Agent Builder for visual workflow design, ChatKit for embedding branded chat interfaces, Evals for Agents to measure and optimize performance, and a connector registry for secure enterprise integrations. Privacy policies require apps to collect minimal data with clear permissions, though the process for handling competing services is still being defined.