This week, OpenAI revealed that applications can now operate natively within ChatGPT, allowing users to book trips, make playlists, and modify designs all in one place, without toggling between separate apps. Some have quickly hailed this as the next big app platform, envisioning a future where ChatGPT could render Apple’s App Store unnecessary.
While OpenAI’s app ecosystem is an emerging competitor, Apple’s long-awaited improvements to Siri could still work in its favor, even if progress has been slow.
Apple already has a major advantage: it owns the hardware, the operating system, and has a global user base of about 1.5 billion iPhones, far outpacing ChatGPT’s 800 million weekly users. If Apple’s strategy is successful, it could not only keep its lead in the app market but also redefine how we interact with apps in the age of AI.
Apple’s approach is to eliminate the need for app icons without getting rid of the apps themselves. The company’s AI-driven vision, first presented at last year’s developer event, would let iPhone users engage with a redesigned Siri and a new system that changes app usage on mobile devices—think more voice commands, less tapping.
Are traditional apps outdated, or just evolving?
This concept’s time has arrived.
Arranging small icons on your iPhone’s Home Screen to access online content is an old-fashioned computing metaphor. Designed to mimic a desktop experience, apps are becoming a less common way for people to reach their favorite online services.
Today, people are just as likely to ask an AI assistant for advice or information as they are to search Google or open a single-purpose app like Yelp. Many use voice commands with smart speakers or AirPods to play music, or ask chatbots for business details or quick reviews of movies and shows.
AI, powered by large language models trained on vast data, interprets user requests and provides direct answers.
This is arguably simpler than digging through Google’s search results for the right answer—a shift Google itself recognized years ago when it began surfacing answers directly on the results page.
It’s also often more straightforward than searching for the right app among dozens on your phone, opening it, and navigating its unique interface just to complete a task or get information.
Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Still, ChatGPT’s app integration, while promising, is confined to the ChatGPT environment. Users must interact through a chatbot interface, which may require some learning. To launch an app, you need to mention its name at the start of your prompt or reference it to get a “use the app for the answer” button. Then, you must enter a precise query. (If you make a mistake, Bloomberg’s early tests show you might end up stuck on a loading screen with no results!)
It’s worth asking: is this the next stage for apps, or just a temporary solution until something better comes along? If a new option appears—especially one built into the iPhone—will people stick with ChatGPT, or will they give Siri another shot? The answer isn’t clear, but Apple shouldn’t be counted out, even though Siri has a lot of ground to make up.
Siri’s current state may be disappointing, but Apple’s ecosystem offers key benefits. Most users already have their preferred apps installed or know how to find them on the App Store. Many have relied on these apps for years, and muscle memory is powerful.
On the other hand, there are a few hurdles to getting started with ChatGPT’s app platform.
First, you need to install the desired app, then connect it to ChatGPT by navigating a series of permission prompts. This setup involves logging in with your existing credentials and, if necessary, entering a two-factor authentication code.
Once this initial process is complete, things get easier. For example, after creating a Spotify playlist with AI, you can open it in the Spotify app with a single tap.
However, if Apple delivers on its promises, this experience may not be much different from what Apple plans to offer. According to Apple, you’ll be able to control your apps by speaking or texting Siri.
There are other drawbacks to OpenAI’s approach. You can only use one app at a time within ChatGPT, which makes it difficult to compare options—like hotel prices versus Airbnb—by switching between apps.
Running apps inside ChatGPT also removes the familiar branding, design, and identity that users associate with their favorite apps. (For those who dislike Spotify’s cluttered interface, this might be a plus, but others may not agree.) In some cases, using the native mobile app is still more convenient due to its flexibility.
Ultimately, convincing users to switch platforms may be tough if there’s no clear benefit to using apps within ChatGPT—aside from the novelty factor.
Can Apple restore Siri’s image with AI upgrades?
During its WWDC 2024 presentation—which Apple insists was not just a staged demo—the company illustrated how apps would function in this new system and how they could leverage AI features like proofreading.
Crucially, Apple told developers they could tap into some AI features without extra work—for example, a note-taking app could use built-in proofreading or rewriting tools. Developers who have already added SiriKit support will be able to expand what users can do in their apps. (SiriKit, which enables apps to work with Siri and Shortcuts, has been available since iOS 10.)
These developers will see immediate improvements when the updated Siri is released.
Image Credits:Apple
Apple plans to focus first on categories like Notes, Media, Messaging, Payments, Restaurant Reservations, VoIP Calling, and Workouts.
Apps in these areas will allow users to take actions through Siri. In practice, this means Siri can access any menu item within an app. For example, you could ask Siri to show your presenter notes in a slideshow, and your productivity app would comply.
Apps will also be able to access any text shown on the screen using Apple’s standard text systems. This should make interactions feel more natural, so users won’t need to use exact phrases or commands. For instance, if you have a reminder to wish your grandfather a happy birthday, you could simply say “FaceTime him” to make the call.
Image Credits:Apple
Apple’s existing Intents framework is also being enhanced to work with Apple Intelligence, expanding support to more app types such as Books, Browsers, Cameras, Document Readers, File Managers, Journals, Mail, Photos, Presentations, Spreadsheets, Whiteboards, and Word Processors. Apple is introducing new, pre-defined and tested “Intents” for developers to use.
This means you could instruct the photo-editing app Darkroom to apply a cinematic filter to a picture using Siri. Siri will also be able to suggest app actions, helping users discover and utilize more features within their apps.
Developers have been adopting the App Intents framework, introduced in iOS 16, because it allows their apps’ actions and content to integrate with other platform features like Spotlight, Siri, the Action button, widgets, controls, and visual search—not just Apple Intelligence.
Image Credits:Apple
Unlike ChatGPT, Apple operates its own OS on its own devices and provides the App Store for discovery, along with developer tools, APIs, and frameworks—not just an AI-powered interface for app usage.
While Apple may need to license some AI technology from others, it has the data to personalize app suggestions and, for privacy-conscious users, offers controls to limit what data apps can access. (We’re still waiting for a “Do Not Track” option in ChatGPT’s app system.)
OpenAI’s system doesn’t support every app out of the box. It depends on developer participation and the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a newer method for linking AI assistants to other platforms. That’s why ChatGPT currently only works with select apps like Booking.com, Expedia, Spotify, Figma, Coursera, Zillow, and Canva. While MCP adoption is increasing, the lag gives Apple more time to catch up.
Additionally, Apple’s AI system is reportedly close to launch. The company is already testing it internally, letting users control apps with Siri voice commands. Bloomberg says this smarter Siri works immediately with many apps, including those from Uber, AllTrails, Threads, Temu, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Apple has confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s still on schedule for release next year.
Apple has the iPhone, OpenAI has Jony Ive
The iPhone’s dominance as an app platform will be tough to challenge, even for a powerhouse like OpenAI.
OpenAI recognizes this, which is why it’s working with Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief, to develop its own hardware. The goal is to make AI a more integral part of daily life, which may require a new device.
So far, though, reports suggest the company hasn’t found a better computing model than the smartphone. At the same time, consumers have shown reluctance toward always-on AI devices, which can conflict with social norms and raise privacy concerns.
Public backlash against AI has included criticism of AI device ads in New York’s subway, Taylor Swift fans turning on her for using AI, and damage to the reputations of well-known brands and businesses. This puts the future of an OpenAI device in doubt.
For now, OpenAI’s app model essentially means using its app to operate other apps.
If Apple’s Siri upgrade succeeds, that extra step may become unnecessary.
