OpenAI plans to launch an app store where developers will be able to sell their artificial intelligence (AI) models built with the company’s AI technology, according to a Reuter’s report citing news publication the Information.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, spoke of the plans at a meeting with developers in London in May, Reuters reported.
The app store will compete against some of OpenAI’s customers and technology partners, including Salesforce and Microsoft.
OpenAI customers Aquant and Khan Academy could be interested in offering ChatGPT-backed AI models on the app marketplace, Reuters reported.
OpenAI’s marketplace app store could become a significant revenue source if the company chooses to charge a commission for paid purchases, as Google and Apple do on their app stores.
OpenAI currently has two main revenue sources: a subscription at $20 dollars per month for ChatGPT Plus customers and access to its APIs for several AI models.
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By GlobalDataOpenAI could choose to follow similar models to Big Tech’s app stores by only allowing clients to list the ChatGPT supported models on their marketplace, and not any distribution channel.
Competition concerns could arise with Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store if the new platform follows a similar revenue model.
If OpenAI does demand exclusively for users selling on its app store, it would likely have to provide the adequate support tools to developers.
Altman has argued that AI tools including ChatGPT desperately need regulating, urging the involvement from US courts.
“Certainly companies like ours bear a lot of responsibility for the tools that we put out in the world, but tool users do as well,” Altman told the US Senate Committee on the 17th May, 2023.
Currently Google and Apple prevent spam and illegal apps from existing on the platforms. OpenAI would have to moderate the platform, stopping spam and illegal apps from being distributed, especially considering Altman’s comments on the need to regulate AI tools.