“The learning curve is so low with many of these GPTs that it really benefits those who are willing to jump in, imagine, and experiment.”
Earlier this year, OpenAI’s GPT Store opened its doors to its paying subscribers, marking a pretty significant milestone in the evolution of AI-driven conversational tools. Following a series of delays, the platform, which allows users to buy and sell custom chatbots (or GPTs) based on OpenAI’s GPT technology, is now accessible to subscribers of ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise, as well as a new tier called Team.
Many have called GPT Store a marketing goldmine – while others are still trying to figure out how to harness this new tool of its full potential.
What can the GPT Store do?
“On its most basic level, it’s a collection of customised versions of ChatGPT,” says Christian Watts, CEO and Founder of Magpie Travel. Speaking to WiT, Watts discussed OpenAI’s latest offering and how it could fit into the areas of travel, hospitality, tours and activities.
“For example, GetYourGuide, which allows users to use similar tools to those already available on their app or website, but with more complex and custom search tools built into the flow – using basic language, rather than pre-set filters,” explained Watts. “Sometimes it’s much better than searching the website directly. Other times it’s worse.”
Watts added, “Then there are custom content creators, which are ultimately prompts behind the scenes.
“So, an Instagram post creator will have instructions and prompts behind the scenes to set ideal length, optimised copy and probably some choices for tone or themes. You could do all of this yourself, but you have the advantage of an expert doing most of the heavy lifting for you. It’s free – with a ChatGPT Enterprise account – for now, because creators are willing to trade cash for exposure. Users get the benefit of that trade.”
The store’s launch brings more versatility to OpenAI’s ecosystem, expanding beyond the company’s pre-built offerings and enabling users to share their personalised chatbots with others. With over 3 million custom bots already created through OpenAI’s GPT Builder program, the store aims to provide a curated marketplace for these specialised solutions.
Watts commented on the uniqueness of GPTs as customised tools, saying they are “new tools, not available elsewhere. These are often combinations of prompts and integrations with tools. These are similar to the content creators, but also gather 3rd party tools and APIs that would ordinarily take you time to discover, research, and learn. This is where the creativity will happen.”
“It’s probably not the kind of thing to integrate with other systems, or to become over-reliant on. I’d look at these as productivity tools for individuals, more than enterprise tools to be integrated,” says Watts
What it is and what it isn’t
One of the key features of the GPT Store is its revenue-sharing program, set to roll out in the first quarter of this year. This initiative will compensate GPT creators based on user engagement with their chatbots, although specific details regarding payment criteria are yet to be disclosed.
All that said, it’s important to note that the GPT Store isn’t perfect – actually, it’s far from it. As Watts says, “It feels like day 1 of search engines. The difference is that OpenAI can learn from that evolution.”
He continued, “Some GPTs will monetise on the back end (by driving traffic to a website, app, or service). Others will need OpenAI to come up with their revenue sharing formula. For the short to medium term, there are always more creators or builders looking for exposure than those needing to monetise, so the number of GPTs is probably a one-way path to a few million.
“Competition to float to the top and get discovered will drive innovation. 99% will last for a month and never get used again.”
To maintain quality and compliance, OpenAI has implemented a review system to ensure that custom GPTs adhere to brand guidelines and usage policies. Additionally, users are encouraged to report any potentially harmful or unsafe chatbots they encounter.
As for those considering creating their own custom chatbots, OpenAI’s GPT Builder offers a user-friendly interface that doesn’t require specialised coding skills.
This, according to Watts, is what makes the adoption of GPT Store a no-brainer. “It’s another step to the great equalizer. The tools available for $20 / month are things that were either impossible 18 months ago or would have required a team of experts. The learning curve is so low with many of these GPTs that it really benefits those who are willing to jump in, imagine, and experiment.”
It goes without saying that while the possibilities for GPT applications are diverse, creators must abide by certain restrictions, such as avoiding content that promotes violence or infringes on copyright.
GenAI is here to stay
In the month between GPT Store’s launch and this article, one key takeaway has emerged – Generative AI is not a silver bullet for solving the industry’s biggest gaps in the market. Like everything else, the application of the tool under the right circumstances is what matters most.
“These GPTs will come and go,” says Watts. “It’s probably not the kind of thing to integrate with other systems, or to become over-reliant on. I’d look at these as productivity tools for individuals, more than enterprise tools to be integrated.”
As for things he’d like to see added to GPT Store’s list of capabilities, Watts responds, “I assume they’ll add more advanced search capabilities, maybe reviews.
“I think they’ll add personalised options on the user side. For example, if it allowed me to save a travel profile for myself, when using the Tripadvisor GPT, I could choose to use my personal preferences as part of my search. This is the killer app. It’s agent-to-agent.”
While Wired reports that certain legalities could become stumbling blocks for GPT Store, OpenAI as a company only seem to be expanding on the platform with new tiers and tools.
As Wired reports, OpenAI could face copyright litigation from The New York Times and the US Congress is holding hearings about data licensing for AI models like ChatGPT. Long story short, the company may be forced to pay licensing fees and follow additional regulations in the near future. These developments could affect people’s access to your creation.
However, that hasn’t stopped OpenAI from rolling out ChatGPT Team, a smaller, leaner version of OpenAI’s Enterprise offering for businesses with fewer than 150 users. It includes a shared workspace and allows teams to build their own GPTs.
With all this actively happening, there are still those who insist that AI and Generative AI is nothing more than a fad, to which Watts replies, “That’s nice. Toothpaste out of tube, horse bolted, ship sailed, train left the platform. It’s not a fad, it’s 10x bigger than the average person is aware of.”
