When Nick Turley joined OpenAI in 2022 to lead ChatGPT, his mission was to turn the company’s groundbreaking research into a successful, widely used product. Two years later, with more than 800 million weekly active users, Turley is thinking even bigger — he wants to transform ChatGPT into a full-fledged platform, one that functions like an operating system with its own ecosystem of third-party apps.
In a recent conversation during OpenAI’s annual developer conference near San Francisco, Turley explained that his vision for ChatGPT borrows inspiration from the way modern web browsers evolved. Over time, browsers became the primary environment where people work and use applications — effectively acting as operating systems in their own right. Turley believes ChatGPT can follow a similar path, becoming a central hub for interacting with digital tools, services, and even businesses.
OpenAI has already taken steps toward this transformation. In recent years, the company introduced features such as ChatGPT plugins and the GPT Store, both early attempts at allowing developers to extend the platform’s capabilities. Although those initiatives didn’t gain widespread traction, Turley says the new approach integrates apps directly into the ChatGPT experience — rather than separating them into a marketplace.
This strategy aligns with OpenAI’s goal to position ChatGPT as a platform for transactions and commerce. Users might soon be able to book trips through Expedia, order food from DoorDash, or hail rides via Uber — all without leaving ChatGPT. For developers, it’s an opportunity to reach hundreds of millions of users directly within their daily conversations.
However, turning ChatGPT into an “AI operating system” raises several challenges. Turley acknowledged that issues like how to feature or promote apps fairly — and whether companies might pay for better visibility — are still being explored. OpenAI also plans to strengthen its privacy framework, ensuring that developers can access only the minimum amount of user data needed to function.
Beyond commercial goals, Turley sees this evolution as deeply connected to OpenAI’s core mission — ensuring artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits humanity. In his view, ChatGPT is not just a product but a delivery mechanism for OpenAI’s broader purpose. “If AGI is going to reach everyone, ChatGPT is how it happens,” he explained.
As ChatGPT grows into a more interactive, app-driven environment, Turley’s ambition is clear: to turn it from a chatbot into a foundational layer of the digital experience — one that could redefine how people use software altogether.
