OpenAI to launch GPT Store next week

OpenAI’s long-planned customized AI marketplace will debut next week, according to an email the company sent today to some GPT users.

The GPT Store, as OpenAI calls it, will serve as a repository for custom GPTs, which can be created using OpenAI’s builder functionality. The company posits a range of use cases, including math instruction, learning the rules of board games, and more.

“We believe the most incredible GPTs will come from builders in the community,” OpenAI said in November. “Whether you’re an educator, coach, or just someone who loves to build helpful tools, you don’t need to know coding to make one and share your expertise.”

The GPT Store will make these user-created generative AI tools searchable and shareable, the company said. Plans are also in the works to allow AI makers to make money from their creations, although OpenAI did not immediately respond to questions about how this would work.

The email announcement also noted there will be limits on what will be available on the GPT Store, however. OpenAI’s terms of service bar obvious bad behavior, including illegal activity, child sex abuse material and hateful or violent content. They also rule out malware generation — already a serious concern in the cybersecurity realm — gambling or other behavior that causes potential economic harm; fraud and plagiarism; most kinds of adult content; and a range of other high-risk activities such as diagnosing disease, providing legal advice, or violating people’s privacy.

The company said it uses “a combination of automated and manual methods” to monitor created genAI tools for policy violations.

The GPT Store was originally slated to launch late in 2023, but the sudden and public leadership conflict between founder Sam Altman and the previous board of directors upended various initiatives.

The GPT Store is likely to prove a further boost for OpenAI, according to IDC group vice president Ritu Jyoti, who said the move is straight out of the Apple playbook.

“[It has] good monetization potential and ability to crowdsource all the different ways that people might use this,” Jyoti said. “The GPT Store opens a world of opportunities for problem solvers beyond tech gurus.”

OpenAI could not be reached for comment.