A new ChatGPT feature being tested by brands could turn the AI bot into the next big app store, said Matthias Keller, chief scientist at travel site Kayak.
Kayak is one of a select few marketers invited by OpenAI to pilot plugins, which enable ChatGPT to invoke a company’s services when handling a user’s query.
Since OpenAI announced the pilot last week, Keller has been fielding calls from other brands eager to get their own businesses involved. The allure is simple: Plugins offer brands a way to be built inside ChatGPT, granting them exposure to the millions of users who have already taken to the AI model, and the millions more who will likely do so in the future.
For example, using Kayak’s plugin, a user could ask ChatGPT to help them book a trip to Los Angeles, and the model will subsequently integrate information from Kayak’s website and arrange the desired travel. When it’s time to pay, the user will be redirected to the Kayak website with their trip in cart.