Promises and Pitfalls: OpenAI’s GPT Store Journey from Launch to Discontent Among Developers

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The Launch of OpenAI's GPT Marketplace Disappoints Several Developers

Upon the release of OpenAI's specialized GPT platform, Josh Brent Villocido was thrilled to discover his work would be highlighted.

In November 2023, during its developer day event, the rising artificial intelligence firm revealed plans to open a marketplace for GPTs, which are customized overlays for its unique ChatGPT platform. Users will have the ability to design GPTs tailored for various purposes, including spreadsheet analysis, generating tattoo ideas, or offering customer service. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, highlighted at the event the prospects for developers to generate income through this initiative.

"Sharing profits is a key priority for us," Altman mentioned. "We are committed to compensating creators of the most valuable and widely utilized GPTs with a share of our earnings."

GPTs share some similarities with applications, yet OpenAI differentiates between the simpler GPTs and the more complex enterprise applications that utilize its API. By establishing a marketplace for developers, OpenAI aimed to redefine itself not merely as a producer of chatbots but as a key platform in the age of artificial intelligence.

Villocido, a medical student aged 22 from the Philippines, viewed these Generative Pre-trained Transformers as an opportunity to earn additional money. The projects did not demand expert-level programming skills. He succeeded in creating over 250 GPTs. Among these, his Books GPT stands out the most, generating customized book suggestions. This particular GPT gained prominence when OpenAI highlighted it during the launch of their Store.

A decade after its inception, it appears that the profit-sharing scheme has been limited to a select few developers through an exclusive pilot program managed by OpenAI. Despite his attempts, Villocido was not among those invited.

Based on discussions with Villocido and several other indie developers, WIRED has learned that experiences with OpenAI’s GPT Store have been varied. These developers have expressed concerns over the inadequate analytics tools provided by OpenAI, pointing out their inability to gauge the performance of their GPTs effectively. OpenAI has indicated that creators of GPTs from outside the United States, including Villocido, do not qualify for participation in revenue sharing.

Individuals who generate revenue through their Generative Pre-trained Transformers often employ strategies such as incorporating affiliate marketing or advertisements into their GPTs. Additionally, some smaller developers leverage the popularity of their GPTs to promote their own capabilities, securing external investment in the process. For instance, the AI-driven research application Consensus, known for its widely-used GPT, successfully secured a substantial amount in venture capital during August.

Nearly a year back, OpenAI introduced the capability for individuals to develop their own personalized GPT models. The firm characterized these GPT models as a simplified, automated method for crafting unique applications using ChatGPT as the foundation. It expressed confidence that exceptional GPT models would emerge from unconventional developers, including teachers, mentors, and hobbyists.

OpenAI announced that its Store would be open to users and developers subscribed to ChatGPT Plus, Teams, or Enterprise levels. Furthermore, OpenAI plans to initiate a revenue program for GPT developers, with payments to United States developers being determined by how much users interact with their GPT creations. The company also committed to releasing information regarding the payment structure criteria.

The GPT Store was inaugurated in January 2024. Towards the end of March, developer Nick Dobos posted a screenshot on X of an email he claims to have received from OpenAI, which invited him to participate in its revenue-sharing trial program. Dobos' programming GPT, named Grimoire, ranks among the top GPTs on the GPT Store, facilitating more than 2 million "conversations" or interactions with the application.

Based on the email Dobos posted on X, the trial initiative promised him a base compensation of $1,000 monthly, with the opportunity for extra income depending on activity levels. Dobos has yet to reply to numerous emails and direct messages inquiring about his involvement with the GPT Store following the initiation of the pilot program.

In response to inquiries regarding the program's progress, OpenAI directed WIRED to its support page. There, a concise overview of the program was provided, along with the company's aspiration to eventually enable a greater number of developers to generate revenue from their GPT creations.

Similar to Villocido, Adrian Lin from Singapore also held a positive outlook towards the GPT Store. Lin, who dedicates his time to AI research, ventured into creating his own application workshop, named Adrian AI Lab, as a secondary project. Without a background in web or mobile application development, the announcement from OpenAI promising that GPT creation didn't necessitate programming abilities appeared to Lin as a chance to develop and oversee his projects independently.

Lin mentions that adjusting his models to align with his goals was a straightforward process.

Lin calculates that his GPT, designed for generating advertising content, Copywriter GPT, has experienced approximately 500,000 to 600,000 engagements. Similar to Villocido's Books GPT, Lin's creation has also been highlighted on the main page of OpenAI's Store.

However, Lin is unable to specify the extent of popularity or the usage frequency of his GPTs, as OpenAI only offers vague approximations to smaller developers such as himself. Additionally, being based in Singapore means he is ineligible for any financial compensation from OpenAI for his app's usage.

OpenAI chose not to provide a statement for this report or disclose any information regarding the usage of GPT.

OpenAI has made it clear that there's a difference between GPTs and complete applications, as developing a GPT doesn't demand high-level programming abilities, whereas crafting an application incorporating OpenAI's tech involves more complexity (and higher costs). Among OpenAI's business customers, such as Moderna, there's an approach of engaging in both activities: Moderna subscribes to OpenAI’s models to develop its proprietary applications and has also created over 750 GPTs for its internal operations.

The globe's top-valued artificial intelligence "new venture" has recently concluded a funding cycle amounting to $6.6 billion. It is anticipated to bring in about $3.7 billion in revenue this year, based on a New York Times article that references financial records shown to prospective investors. (However, it is expected to incur losses greater than its profits for this year.) Back in June, The Information disclosed that the bulk of its income is derived from a range of subscription services for its conversational bots and the costs it imposes for API access.

During a media conference aligned with OpenAI's developer event a fortnight prior, OpenAI's Chief Product Officer, Kevin Weil, mentioned that the organization has noticed a significant increase in the adoption of GPT models, particularly within their business-oriented offerings.

Weil mentioned that they have clients who internally create thousands of GPTs, highlighting significant usage. However, he stated that there are no new developments or information to share about the product or program at this time.

Despite the lack of clarity from OpenAI regarding compensation for smaller GPT developers and the average quality of analytics reported by developers, a number of GPT creators maintain an optimistic outlook on the GPT Store as a platform.

Dmitry Khanukov, the mind behind SQL Expert, an acclaimed GPT with over 200,000 chat interactions to its name, shared with WIRED that his venture has not generated direct income from the OpenAI GPT Store, treating it more as a labor of love. Alongside his role as the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Dwelly, a property management firm, Khanukov operates out of Florida. Despite his contributions, he was not part of the revenue-sharing initiative by OpenAI.

In a communication with WIRED, Khanukov expressed that OpenAI does not offer any helpful data regarding the performance of his GPT.

Khanukov notes that his GPT has provided additional advantages. It has facilitated connections with a fresh community of individuals who require SQL for their professional tasks but do not possess engineering backgrounds. His GPT has significantly boosted his reputation on LinkedIn, leading to an influx of approximately 3,500 new followers on the platform since introducing his GPT. He also mentions receiving a purchase offer for his SQL GPT from another developer, which he turned down as he wished to prevent any modifications to his GPT.

Likewise, Adrian Lin expresses his gratitude for the straightforward feedback received from users regarding his products and the "recognition" it has garnered for his modest application workshop. He mentions that he is now compensated for featuring the app Notion within his Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT).

"Lin views it as pertinent to his audience, given that a majority have interests in digital marketing, and see Notion as a valuable resource for enhancing productivity and managing projects."

Eric Olson's efforts in creating a GPT for the OpenAI GPT Store have proven to be highly rewarding.

On the day the Store opened in January, Consensus, his GPT, was showcased alongside Villocido’s Books GPT. Since its debut, the Consensus GPT has engaged in over 5 million discussions and provides a link to its dedicated website in each conversation.

This indicates that the GPT serves as a promotional tool for the startup, which leverages artificial intelligence to extract data from complex academic studies, functioning as a version of Google Scholar designed for the age of AI. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of new sign-ups for Consensus originate from its GPT. "Our journey has likely been more favorable compared to others featured in the GPT Store, given that we've consistently remained on the Store's explore page throughout," Olson remarks.

This summer, Consensus secured $11.5 million in Series A investment, attracting funding from notable investors such as Union Square Ventures and Draper Associates.

Villocido, who developed the Books GPT showcased during the Store's debut, realized that the monthly $20 fee for the ChatGPT subscription, essential for creating and updating his personalized GPT models, was no longer a justifiable expense.

He currently earns a small monthly income by incorporating advertisements into his existing GPTs through a chatbot advertising platform known as Adzedek. In a favorable month, his earnings can reach up to $200. However, he opts not to reinvest this income into ChatGPT.

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