OpenAI allows individuals to craft their own ChatGPT.

Watch the full event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9mJuUkhUzk

A year after unveiling ChatGPT, OpenAI is taking it a step further by introducing a platform for creating personalized versions of the AI chatbot without the need for coding.

These customized AI agents, dubbed GPTs which include instructions, expanded knowledge, and actions, will soon be accessible through the GPT Store. While specifics about the store's appearance and functionality are currently limited, OpenAI pledges to compensate creators based on the usage of their GPTs, with access granted to paying ChatGPT Plus subscribers and OpenAI enterprise clients. The announcement of custom GPTs took place at DevDay, OpenAI's inaugural developer conference in San Francisco, where they also revealed a more powerful and cost-effective GPT-4, reduced prices for developers utilizing their models, and the remarkable milestone of ChatGPT boasting 100 million weekly users.

“Since launching ChatGPT, people have been asking for ways to customize ChatGPT to fit specific ways that they use it,” OpenAI said in a statement shared with The Verge. “We launched Custom Instructions in July that let you set some preferences, but requests for more control kept coming. Many power users maintain a list of carefully crafted prompts and instruction sets, manually copying them into ChatGPT. GPTs now do all of that for you.”

In a recent demonstration of OpenAI's GPT platform, I observed a bot named "Creative Writing Coach" providing feedback on a submitted PDF writing sample. Within a span of about two minutes, another GPT was swiftly created to assist attendees in navigating DevDay. This newly spawned bot, named "Event Navigator," had its profile picture generated by DALL-E and utilized a PDF attachment of the event schedule to enhance its responses.

OpenAI's user interface empowers you to shape how a GPT interacts with users before deployment. In the case of the DevDay Event Navigator, the instructions were to be helpful, concise, and steer clear of scheduling conflicts. The platform even auto-generated conversation prompts like "What's the first session today?"

Each GPT has the capability to access web browsing, DALL-E for image generation, and OpenAI's Code Interpreter tool for writing and executing software. The builder interface includes a "Knowledge" section for uploading custom data, such as the DevDay event schedule. Additionally, OpenAI introduces a feature called Actions, enabling GPTs to integrate with external services like Canva and Zapier to access data from emails, databases, and more.

With the launch of custom GPTs, OpenAI enters the arena of AI bot platforms, facing competition from counterparts like Character.AI and Meta. While Meta recently introduced a range of AI personas in popular platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger, OpenAI distinguishes itself by positioning its platform as utility-focused. Instead of emphasizing bots that mimic human interactions, OpenAI is more inclined towards utility, although it doesn't discourage users from creating GPTs with human-like personas if they choose to do so.

Ultimately, the GPT platform is a significant stride toward its ultimate goal: achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). By limiting access to paid subscribers, the company aims to boost its rapidly growing revenue, reportedly eyeing a valuation of up to $90 billion from investors. This strategic move aligns with OpenAI's overarching mission and financial aspirations.