OpenAI Emulates Apple With Its New GPT Store for AI Apps

OpenAI has launched the GPT Store, a marketplace for AI apps. It’s a platform akin to Apple’s App Store but for AI applications. This store, revealed two months before its launch, is the perfect place for AI developers to showcase their creations built using OpenAI’s tech.

Since the announcement, developers have created over 3 million custom versions of ChatGPT, many of which are now available for public use. The range of applications is impressive, from apps that help you find hiking trails to those designed for learning to code.

Apple’s App Store takes a 30% cut from developers on app sales, but so far it remains unclear whether OpenAI intends to implement a similar commission system. Currently, the GPT Store is only available for premium ChatGPT users who pay a $20 monthly fee for an enhanced version of the app.

In the past, Apple’s commission policy has stirred up controversy, leading to legal disputes from companies like Epic Games. Despite these disputes, Apple earned an estimated $70 to $85 billion in App Store commissions last year.

OpenAI isn’t just about making money, though. The company intends to support GPT developers by launching a revenue program by March’s end. Its initial phases will compensate U.S. developers based on user engagement with their GPT applications. More details will be released as the program evolves.

This move resembles Apple’s strategy which, in 2022, facilitated $1.1 trillion in developer billings and sales. But the similarities don’t end there.

The much-anticipated GPT Store was announced during OpenAI’s first-ever “Dev Day,” an event that drummed up as much excitement as Apple’s keynotes generally do. If you’re a tech enthusiast, you know that’s a big deal.

OpenAI’s leader, Sam Altman, is also drawing parallels with Apple’s Steve Jobs. Both faced corporate dramas leading to temporary departures from their respective companies. Yet, their influence was too significant to ignore, leading to their reinstatements.

Rumor has it that Altman is considering the development of a consumer AI device, further mimicking Apple’s revolutionary path. This potential AI equivalent of the iPhone could even be a collaboration with Apple’s iconic design chief, Jony Ive.