Is GPT-4 About to Shake Up the App Store Model?
I have been playing around with some GPT-4 plugins recently (like the travel ones that book flights for you), and it got me thinking: Could this plugin ecosystem eventually replace the traditional app store model (like on iOS or Google Play)?
Right now, we switch between dozens of apps for random tasks (booking a hotel, checking the weather, ordering groceries), but if ChatGPT can handle all that directly, why would we need separate apps for each thing? It almost feels like a central “AI OS.”
Is that too futuristic of a prediction, or do you think it might be coming sooner than we think?
How do you see this impacting smaller developers—does it open up new opportunities or create more competition under one AI umbrella?
Would love to hear if anyone else has tried these plugins and what you think about the future of standalone apps.
Replies
In our era of overwhelming apps, I’m really waiting for one tool to rule them all. But in my opinion, the chat experience still has a lot of room for improvement. Maybe it will get there in 5-10 years — who knows?
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@kirill_golubovskiy Yeah, agreed, but right now ChatGpt is a jack of all-trades (we can say that).
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@sumitgoel means? I didn't get it.
They had a chance to do this and blew it by letting anything become a GPT plugin. Now it just feels like a bunch of noise.
AI completely take over the place for standalone apps need to take few decades, they can't even be integrated in OS and calling different interfaces and apps seamlessly. Let's wait and see how it goes. I'd say 3-5 yrs.
Ohh, this is such an interesting thought! Honestly, AI plugins are making things super convenient, but I don’t think separate apps are going away anytime soon. Like, sure, a travel plugin can book flights, but it still depends on actual airlines and hotel services. It’s more like a smart middle layer than a full replacement, right?
But yeah, if AI keeps getting better at handling multiple tasks in one place, smaller developers might have to rethink how they build and promote their apps. More competition? Definitely. But also, maybe new ways to integrate and get discovered? Kinda like how app stores changed with in-app purchases and subscriptions.