OpenAI’s latest move has sent shockwaves through the tech industry, with the announcement of third-party plugins for its groundbreaking language model, ChatGPT. The buzz has been palpable on Twitter, as the organization revealed that the plugins would enable ChatGPT to access up-to-date information, run computations, and use third-party services, all while adhering to OpenAI’s core principle of safety. The potential for ChatGPT to become an even more versatile tool has sparked the imagination of developers worldwide, as they eagerly anticipate the rollout of this groundbreaking new feature.
In a blog post, OpenAI described the plugins as “tools designed specifically for language models,” and with the excitement surrounding this announcement, it’s clear that the industry is taking note of the potential implications for AI and beyond
OpenAI's ChatGPT Plugins: A New Era for AI Chat and Developer Platform
OpenAI’s announcement about the release of ChatGPT plugins was immediately perceived by the public as an indication that the organization intended to use the platform as a developer platform to cement its position as the market leader.
OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, took to Twitter to share the news, inviting developers to “install plugins to help with a wide variety of tasks” and expressing his excitement to see what they would create.
He confirmed that OpenAI was providing both code execution and online browsing plugins and that the code for the retrieval plugin was being made open-source. Despite the experimental nature of the plugins, Altman expressed confidence that “there’s something great in this direction,” adding that the feature had been heavily requested.
Fellow AI co-founder Marco Mascorro reinforced “OpenAI is seeing ChatGPT as a platform play.”, while Greg Mushen tweeted, “I think the introduction of plugins to ChatGPT is a threat to the App Store. It creates a new platform with new monetization methods.”
ChatGPT plugins: A significant advancement for AI chat
OpenAI stated that plugin creators can use its documentation to create a plugin for ChatGPT after being invited off the company’s waitlist. Several businesses, including Expedia, Instacart, Kayak, OpenTable, and Zapier, have already developed the first extensions.
Expedia claims that their brand-new plugin makes trip preparation easier for ChatGPT customers. A press representative wrote in an email, “ChatGPT could previously help travelers find things to do and places to stay, but it couldn’t help them shop and book.”
As soon as a traveler activates the Expedia plugin, their trip itinerary made through communication with ChatGPT will “come to life” with data from Expedia’s travel database, including the current cost and availability of flights, lodging, vacation rentals, activities, and cars. They will be directed to Expedia when they are ready to make a reservation, where they can log in to see choices that are tailored to their preferences as well as member discounts, loyalty rewards, and more.
The update marks a significant turning point in the evolution of AI chat as a medium for internet access and communication. In addition to offering a service, ChatGPT is building an environment where programmers can produce and share their own plugins for the use of users. In a similar way, Apple’s App Store, which enabled third-party applications to thrive on its devices, revolutionized the mobile industry. Future marketplaces and opportunities for AI chat may be made possible by ChatGPT’s plugin feature.
According to OpenAI, they will start giving users and developers on their waitlist access to the plugin alpha and will push out more widespread access “over time.”
