OpenAI is preparing a major overhaul of ChatGPT, shifting its focus from a chatbot to a 'superapp' that integrates coding tools and AI agents. The changes are part of a broader reorganization as the company seeks to attract business customers and compete with Anthropic. The overhaul is expected to begin rolling out in the coming weeks, with initial changes appearing on ChatGPT’s website and mobile apps. The strategy marks a significant shift for OpenAI, which previously became synonymous with the AI boom through its 2022 launch of ChatGPT. OpenAI executives now believe that AI agents, which can perform tasks for users, will be more valuable than chatbots. The company is also emphasizing its coding product Codex, which has seen its user base grow sixfold since the launch of a desktop application in February.
The changes reflect OpenAI’s growing conviction that the future of AI lies in agents rather than chatbots. OpenAI’s Codex product, which allows users to write code and create software based on simple instructions, has attracted over 5 million weekly active users. The company anticipates that revenue from business customers will rise to 50 percent by the end of the year, up from 40 percent currently. OpenAI’s strategy is moving closer to that of Anthropic, whose focus on business products has driven its rapid growth. According to Thibault Sottiaux, who leads OpenAI’s core product and platform, the goal is to create a personal agent capable of assisting users across all aspects of their lives. The redesign of ChatGPT’s interface will encourage users to adopt coding tools, image generation, and applications from partners such as Canva and Booking.com.
OpenAI’s shift is also evident in its decision to sideline consumer-focused initiatives, including a checkout feature that allowed purchases within ChatGPT, and to shut down Sora, its video-generation product, less than a year after its launch. Executives believe users will increasingly interact with a single AI assistant rather than separate applications. As agents become more capable, OpenAI expects the distinction between chatbots, coding tools, and other software categories to blur. Alex Embiricos, OpenAI’s head of enterprise product, said, 'When we have [artificial general intelligence], I don’t think there will be a large number of distinct brands. Probably there will be a single entity that I can talk to that can do whatever I need.'
Source: arstechnica
