OpenAI Dev Day: Plugins Get App-Like Panels in ChatGPT

OpenAI announced at its Dev Day presentation on Tuesday that developers can build app-like experiences within ChatGPT using plugin extensions. The extensions give apps a dedicated home in the ChatGPT sidebar, letting users work with third-party tools without leaving the chat.

Developers can build interactive panels that let users work with their tools while chatting with ChatGPT, including file viewers for the developer's supported file formats. Users can approve a plugin's access needs individually when choosing a plugin.

OpenAI introduced a new Plugin Creator tool for building plugins and a redesigned submission flow with clearer feedback. It also improved how plugins are ranked and recommended in its directory and in conversations.

ChatGPT Sites can host these plugins, allowing sharing with colleagues who use their own connected data and permissions. OpenAI is adding support for the proposed MCP Events specification to allow plugins to start automations based on events in a connected app, and is making automations easier to add and manage.

As TechCrunch reported, OpenAI already supports plugins that connect ChatGPT to tools like Slack, SharePoint, Airtable and Google Drive, a foundation the new plugin extensions build on.