ChatGPT’s FarmVille Moment

Updated at 2:49 p.m. ET on January 17, 2024

ChatGPT has certainly captured the world’s imagination since its release at the end of 2022. But in day-to-day life, it is still a relatively niche product—a curiosity that leads people to ask questions that begin “Have you tried … ?” or “What do you think about … ?” Its maker, OpenAI, has a much more expansive vision. Its aim is seemingly to completely remake how people use the internet.  

For that to happen, the bot needs to be more than a conversation starter: It has to be a functioning business. The company’s launch of the new GPT Store on Wednesday was an ambitious step in that direction. Initially announced two months ago, the GPT Store allows the product’s business and “ChatGPT Plus” users—those paying $20 a month for an upgraded version of the service—to create, share, and interact with since they were granted the ability to do so in November, in preparation for this launch.