First, thank you OpenAI for introducing Sign in with ChatGPT, allowing users to use their ChatGPT subscriptions or credits in supported third-party applications.
I had earlier shared a similar suggestion here:
I am happy to see this direction becoming a reality.
I would like to suggest another idea that could take this even further.
The idea
I believe all software will eventually become environments where people complete specific tasks, while specialized ChatGPT plugins provide the tools needed to do the work.
Today, users often need to leave the software they are working in, open ChatGPT, use a plugin, get the result, and return to their software.
Why should we keep moving between applications?
What if OpenAI allowed independent developers to bring ChatGPT plugins directly into other software through third-party extensions?
I am not suggesting that OpenAI should build extensions for every software application.
I think another group of developers can do that.
OpenAI would only need to make it possible.
What could OpenAI provide?
1. Software compatibility for plugins
Allow plugin builders to declare which software environments their plugins are designed to work with.
This information could become part of the plugin’s settings when it is created or published.
2. Plugin discovery for third-party extensions
Allow extension developers to securely identify which plugins a user has access to and which ones are compatible with the software they are using.
Users would only see the plugins that can work in their current software environment.
3. Plugin execution outside ChatGPT
Provide a secure way for authorized extensions to send information to compatible plugins and receive their outputs.
This would allow users to select objects, areas, or other supported elements inside their software and activate a plugin directly.
The plugin could then produce a result that the extension applies inside the software.
No need to write prompts for every action. No need to copy and paste. No need to move between ChatGPT and other applications.
4. User authorization
Allow users to sign in and authorize third-party extensions to access their eligible ChatGPT plugins and usage.
This could build on the direction OpenAI has already taken with Sign in with ChatGPT.
Why I think this matters
Today, developers often build separate applications to solve specific problems.
But what if they could simply build specialized ChatGPT plugins that work inside software people already use?
Another group of developers could focus on building extensions that connect those plugins to different software environments.
This could create two opportunities for independent developers.
Some developers would build the specialized plugins.
Others would build the extensions that make those plugins work inside existing software.
The software provides the environment. The extensions provide the connection. The plugins provide the specialized tools. ChatGPT provides intelligence where needed.
Not every action would need AI reasoning. Some plugins could simply execute predefined instructions using information already selected inside the software.
The bigger opportunity
I believe the future of software may not be about building more separate applications.
It may be about making existing software environments more capable through specialized plugins.
Instead of taking users to ChatGPT, allow developers to bring the users’ authorized ChatGPT plugins into the software where they are already working.
OpenAI would not need to build or maintain the extensions. Independent developers could do that using the tools and permissions supported by each software application.
My suggestion is simply that OpenAI provide the compatibility information, secure plugin discovery, execution access, and user authorization needed to make this possible.
The rest can be left to the developer ecosystem.
I would be interested to hear from OpenAI about this possibility or what the community thinks.
Thank you again.