OpenAI has officially transformed ChatGPT into a platform for third-party apps, embedding interactive applications directly within conversations.

The company unveiled its Apps SDK Monday, allowing apps such as Canva, Spotify, Zillow, and Coursera to render live user interfaces in-chat, with Uber, Target, and Peloton planned for later this year. While the move promises unprecedented reach to over 800 million weekly active users, privacy advocates warn that it also raises serious concerns about data collection, surveillance, and user tracking.

The new system enables applications to appear proactively in response to user prompts or when called by name. Users can interact with maps, videos, checkouts, and interactive filters without leaving the conversation. OpenAI’s implementation builds on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard for connecting AI models to external services, enhanced with inline cards, expanded views, and picture-in-picture overlays.

Unlike the prior GPT Store, which primarily hosted specialized chatbots, this iteration embeds real functional interfaces, turning ChatGPT into both assistant and platform. OpenAI aims to make discovery seamless, surfacing apps exactly when user intent is detected.

While the technical integration is impressive, critics warn that the centralization of app interactions within ChatGPT gives OpenAI unprecedented visibility into user behavior. Every in-chat interaction, search, or transaction could theoretically be logged, analyzed, and used to optimize app ranking.

“Users may not realize how much data is shared with OpenAI each time they interact with these apps,” said a privacy expert. “From queries to engagement patterns, OpenAI now sits between the user and third-party services, giving it access to sensitive information without full transparency.”

Unlike traditional apps, where data often flows directly to the service provider, ChatGPT acts as an intermediary, potentially capturing insights that could be used for algorithmic profiling, targeted recommendations, or even future monetization strategies. This raises questions about consent, compliance with privacy laws (especially in the EU), and corporate responsibility.

For developers, the platform offers the lure of massive distribution but comes at the cost of control over the user experience and data. App visibility depends on OpenAI’s ranking and suggestion algorithms. If apps rely on in-chat deployment for growth, developers risk being locked into OpenAI’s ecosystem.

Moreover, the integration exposes users to potential data aggregation risks, as OpenAI can correlate interactions across multiple apps and contexts. Critics warn this creates an opaque environment where users cannot easily track what information is shared with third parties.

OpenAI plans to introduce payments through its Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) later this year. However, privacy questions extend to financial data: purchases, billing, and transaction history may be captured and processed through OpenAI’s systems, creating another layer of sensitive data potentially vulnerable to misuse or security breaches.

Industry observers also caution that OpenAI could eventually compete directly with third-party apps by analyzing usage trends and building proprietary alternatives, a risk intensified by the extensive behavioral data the platform now collects.

OpenAI also unveiled AgentKit, a drag-and-drop workflow builder for multi-agent setups, and ChatKit, an embeddable chat UI. While designed to simplify integration for businesses, the platform’s centralized data connectors (Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint, and others) increase the scope of potential privacy exposure, particularly in corporate environments handling sensitive information.

Analysts say three factors will determine the platform’s success: developer adoption, EU rollout with privacy safeguards, and monetization policies. Privacy advocates stress that robust transparency, explicit consent, and clear data handling rules must be prioritized if the platform is to avoid regulatory or ethical backlash.

By embedding apps directly into chat, OpenAI reshapes the way users interact with software — bridging intent, UI, and payments in a single environment. But the convenience comes at the cost of user privacy and independence, giving OpenAI both unprecedented reach and control over digital behavior. The question remains whether users and developers will accept the trade-off between convenience and surveillance-style oversight. (ILKHA)