OpenAI has rolled out the GPT Store, an innovative marketplace featuring specialized AI chatbots built on ChatGPT technology.

The GPT Store offers a range of GPT custom apps, including AllTrails for personalized trail recommendations, a programming tutor from Khan Academy, a design tool by Canva, and a book recommender. Subscribers to OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus plan, priced at $20 per month, gain access to run these GPTs and can create their own, even without programming skills, as per a CNET report.

Changing The App Store Landscape

The GPT Store represents a departure from traditional app store models, as developers cannot charge directly for their chatbots. Instead, OpenAI provides custom GPTs to all paying ChatGPT users without direct charges from developers. Although developers cannot monetize their chatbots directly, OpenAI plans to share subscription revenue with creators of popular GPTs.

Simultaneously, OpenAI is launching the ChatGPT Team plan, which is tailored for smaller businesses with fewer than 150 employees. Priced at $25 per user monthly (billed annually) or $30 month-to-month, ChatGPT Team offers smaller enterprises a shared workspace, collaborative capabilities for custom GPTs, and additional features beyond the consumer subscription service, per Axios.

The GPT Store's launch was initially announced last year during OpenAI's inaugural developer conference, DevDay. Despite facing delays, likely linked to leadership changes following CEO Sam Altman's temporary departure and subsequent return with a revamped board, the GPT Store reflects OpenAI's commitment to streamlining the user experience.

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How Custom GPT Creators Can Earn

Analogous to app store models like Apple and Google, OpenAI's revenue-sharing approach is anticipated to play a pivotal role in the GPT Store's business model.

Payments to GPT creators based on user engagement are scheduled to begin with US developers within the first quarter of 2024, with detailed payment criteria forthcoming, according to TechCrunch. While the exact revenue-sharing details remain undisclosed, OpenAI aims to make GPTs a lucrative venture for both the company and developers, aligning with its broader strategy to cultivate a thriving ecosystem around GPTs.

In November, Sam Altman noted the significance of "revenue sharing" and that the company will "pay people who build the most useful GPTs a portion of our revenue."

On January 4, OpenAi informed developers that its GPT Store aims further to enhance accessibility and profitability in the AI technology landscape. Developers initially faced the "cumbersome process" of sharing GPTs through copying and pasting web addresses, and the GPT Store signifies a significant shift in simplifying the process.

The GPT Store's launch marks a transformative moment in the democratization of generative AI app development, potentially disrupting consultancies that specialize in crafting GPT-like solutions for clients. The full implications of this innovation from a Microsoft-backed tech firm are expected to unfold in the coming months as the AI development landscape undergoes a significant shift.

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