OpenAI opens ChatGPT to businesses with claimable profiles, analytics and sponsored Business Agents

What's new? OpenAI launched Businesses in ChatGPT in beta on 10 November. Through a new Business Hub, any eligible business in a market where ChatGPT is available can claim and verify its listing, update its details and upload product feeds with pricing and availability. Shopify merchants can connect their store from Business Hub or the Shopify admin, and eligible Shopify products are already in ChatGPT through Shopify Catalog.

Analytics: Business Hub shows aggregated insights, such as how often a business is mentioned, the website clicks it gets from ChatGPT and the discovery topics in conversations where its site is cited. OpenAI says it does not share users' conversations or Business Agent chats with businesses, and insights only appear above minimum thresholds.

Business Agents: Verified ecommerce and online-service businesses in the US can now build a Business Agent that answers customers' questions inside ChatGPT, in a separate, clearly labelled conversation. Businesses can also sponsor their agent and use it as the destination for ChatGPT Ads; sponsored placements are labelled and kept apart from ChatGPT's own answers. OpenAI plans to expand to more markets and categories.

Why it matters: With what OpenAI says are 1.2 billion weekly users, ChatGPT is building something akin to a business directory plus a paid storefront for AI search. Fintech investor Rex Salisbury summed up the commercial logic: "Someone wants a take rate on e-commerce." For now the monetisation OpenAI has announced is advertising; it has not described a commission on sales made through Business Agents.

Sources: OpenAI: Introducing Businesses in ChatGPT; OpenAI on X; Rex Salisbury on X