OpenAI has opened up ChatGPT more fully to developers by allowing third party apps and services to connect directly to the platform, aiming to turn it into a broader ecosystem rather than a standalone chatbot. The move lets developers build tools that can tap into ChatGPT’s conversational interface for tasks like travel planning, booking, customer service, and research, while keeping users inside a single experience. For industries such as travel, this could change how people search, compare options, and make decisions, shifting power away from traditional websites and apps. OpenAI positions the change as a way to make ChatGPT more useful and personalized, but it also raises questions about competition, data control, and how businesses maintain visibility when interactions are mediated by AI. The update signals OpenAI’s ambition to make ChatGPT a central hub for everyday digital tasks rather than just a question answering tool.
