OpenAI is pushing ChatGPT beyond being an AI assistant and towards becoming a new gateway for discovering and using software. At DevDay 2026, the company unveiled features that allow users to find applications, interact with them and delegate tasks without necessarily opening each app separately. The move could reshape how users discover and access software in the AI era.
Instead of searching an app store first, users can increasingly describe what they want to accomplish and let ChatGPT suggest relevant applications within the conversation. OpenAI has expanded its plugin architecture with interactive panels, file viewers, dedicated app experiences and automations, giving developers more ways to bring software directly into ChatGPT.
This represents a shift from app-first computing to intent-first computing. The user starts with a task, while AI determines which tools can help complete it.
Dots Pushes AI From Recommendations to Action
OpenAIโs new Dots agents take the concept further. They can operate through their own cloud computer and browser, connect with thousands of applications and perform tasks based on user instructions. OpenAI says Dots can work with more than 4,000 apps, creating a broader environment where software becomes something an AI agent can operate rather than something a user must manually navigate.
For users, the important change is not simply having access to more applications. It is reducing the need to decide which application should be used in the first place.
A New Distribution Channel for Developers
OpenAI is also building a commercial ecosystem around this model. Its enterprise app marketplace includes more than 30 partners, spanning productivity, design, cybersecurity, CRM and other business categories. Developers can also create AI-native versions of their products designed specifically for ChatGPT.
The company is further expanding Sign in with ChatGPT, allowing supported applications to use ChatGPT identity for authentication. For eligible users and apps, certain ChatGPT plan capabilities can also support AI features within connected applications.
Is This the End of the App Store?
Not yet. OpenAI has not announced a conventional app-store-style billing or revenue-sharing system that would directly replace existing distribution models. Users may still need separate subscriptions or payments for individual services.
However, OpenAI is targeting an important part of the traditional app economy: software discovery. If users increasingly find and access applications through conversations with AI, app stores may no longer be the only major starting point for discovering digital services.
AI Could Become the New Software Gateway
With ChatGPT already serving a massive global user base, OpenAI is positioning the platform as an intermediary between people and software. The broader strategy is clear: users explain the outcome they want, while AI identifies the tools, connects the services and increasingly handles the execution.
The next stage of software competition may therefore be less about convincing users to download another app and more about making sure an AI agent knows when, where and how to use that app.
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