OpenAI has introduced a shop for GPTs, or personalized chatbot applications driven by its text- and image-generating AI models (such as GPT-4 and DALL-E 3), following its announcement to developers last week that it would do so.
Located in a new tab within the ChatGPT web client, the GPT Store offers a selection of GPTs created by OpenAI’s partners as well as the broader developer community. On the community leaderboard, which is divided into sections for lifestyle, writing, research, programming, and education, GPT users can peruse popular and trending GPTs.
Users that are enrolled in one of OpenAI’s premium ChatGPT plans, such as ChatGPT Plus, ChatGPT Enterprise, or the recently introduced ChatGPT Team, are required to access the GPT Store.
A content designer from Canva, a programming instructor from Khan Academy, and a trail recommender from AllTrails are just a few of the GPTs that will be accessible at launch. As of right now, all are free to use. Later on, more on that.
Coding knowledge is not necessary to create GPTs, and developers are free to create GPTs that are as basic or complicated as they like. Developers only need to specify in plain English the features they would like their GPT to have, and OpenAI’s GPT-building tool, GPT Builder, will try to create an AI-powered chatbot that can do those tasks.
A cookbook collection can be used to train a GPT so that it can respond to inquiries regarding, say, the ingredients for a particular recipe. Alternatively, a GPT may consume proprietary codebases from businesses so that developers could review their style or produce code that adheres to best practices.
Developers who want to offer their GPTs in the GPT Store must first authenticate their user profiles and submit their GPTs to OpenAI’s new review system, which combines automatic and human assessment to make sure the GPTs adhere to the company’s usage guidelines. (Users who see problematic GPTs that get away with it can also report them.)
I emailed OpenAI a number of inquiries regarding the “human” component of the GPT Store review process, including the reviewers’ compensation and access to mental health resources, because the company has a history of hiring underpaid, overworked contractors in developing nations to moderate and enhance its GenAI systems. At the time of writing, the corporation has not reacted; if they do, I will update this piece.
At launch, programmers won’t be allowed to charge for GPTs. However, somewhere in Q1, OpenAI intends to introduce a “GPT builder revenue program” that will pay American builders according to “user engagement” with their GPTs. OpenAI promises to release information on the payment requirements in the future.
The GPT Store was first revealed at OpenAI’s inaugural yearly developer conference, DevDay, in 2017. However, its release was postponed until December, most likely as a result of a leadership change that took place in November, shortly after the initial announcement. (The short version of events is that OpenAI’s board of directors ordered CEO Sam Altman to resign, and after investors and staff became alarmed, he was reinstated with a new board.)
For apps that utilize OpenAI’s model family, at the very least, GPTs successfully democratize the construction of generative AI apps. In fact, consultants whose primary source of revenue is creating what are effectively GPTs for clients may find themselves rendered obsolete by GPTs. That may or may not be a good thing, but we’ll have to wait and see how things work out.
Updated at 1:07 Eastern on January 11: An OpenAI representative responded to my inquiry regarding the GPT moderation procedure with the following statement:
“We use our AI models for content screening in accordance with our GPT policy guidelines before any human reviewer sees a GPT application. In order to offer an extra review layer prior to the GPT being made public, we collaborate with our current partners who assist OpenAI’s customer service and compliance initiatives. We collaborate with suppliers that fairly compensate these reviewers for the significant work they accomplish and guarantee that they have access to the best wellness resources available.
