Nathaniel Whittemore

There was a story this weekend about some planned updates to the ChatGPT app that I think many are completely misreading and which the accurate read of tells us a lot about the future direction of AI user experiences.

Now, for those of you who are watching, just to be clear, the mockup that is on your screen right now was generated by the person who was tweeting it just as a way to have a visual alongside their tweet.

We haven't seen any mockups or leaks of a potential OpenAI super app.

What we did get was this article in the Financial Times, OpenAI plots biggest chat GPT overhaul since launch.

And certainly the thrust of the article was that a super app is coming.

FT writes, the company intends to transform the chatbot into a quote-unquote super app that combines coding tools and AI agents, adding products that executives believe will generate more revenue.

Now, none of this is a surprise or exactly secret.

OpenAI employees, leadership, etc.

have used the super app term extensively on Twitter slash X. And last week during the Codex events for Enterprise, we even heard more about Codex and ChatGPT blending, although exactly what that meant remains unclear.

Now for the Financial Times, this is about business strategy.

They write, the changes are part of a broader reorganization at OpenAI as the San Francisco company shifts resources into trying to win lucrative business customers and compete more fiercely with rival Anthropic.

The role of ChatGPT in this ecosystem looks like it might be a little bit different.

Again, FT writes, OpenAI executives increasingly view ChatGPT, which has attracted nearly a billion users since its launch, as a gateway to introduce users to higher value products.

The majority of consumers use the chatbot for free.

FT says the overhaul is going to begin rolling out in the coming weeks and will initially appear as changes to the ChatGPT website and mobile apps, which encourage customers towards using coding, image generation, and apps from external partners.

Now for FT, this is all about the IPO.

The changes they write underline how OpenAI's strategy is moving closer to that of Anthropic, whose focus on developing products for businesses has stoked its blistering growth and will be at the heart of its pitch to investors in an IPO this year.

Big quote, Leona's capital partner, Jenny Hsiao, who writes, Approximately a year ago, OpenAI's strategy was swing for the fences, whereas Anthropic's strategy is make money first.

Now the two are converging because both of them are trying to aim for an IPO and investors care more about money than dreams.

As evidence, FT points to the shutting down of Sora as an example of their commitment to this new business focus, which is obviously something that we've talked about here as well.