A couple of weeks ago, I wondered whether OpenAI's new GPT Store would usher in an explosion of creativity. After two weeks, the disappointing answer is "not yet".
Many GPT Store offerings merely echo the existing capabilities of ChatGPT Plus. And as the GPT Store is only available to ChatGPT Plus users, there is a landscape of redundant functionality. Innovation might be out there but with, according to OpenAI, three million GPTs created to date, finding innovative offerings in the store is nearly impossible.
However, not all is lost. The capability to preload one's proprietary data into GPTs and the functionality to trigger actions by other software applications lays the groundwork for many creative and practical applications, transcending the boundaries of what we've seen so far.
Imagine GPTs tailored with niche, industry-specific data or GPTs that can initiate complex workflows and processes. The true power of custom GPTs will be their ability to transform specialised knowledge and actions into accessible and interactive experiences through natural language.
Creating and experimenting with my own GPTs has been rewarding. The ease of drafting GPTs using natural language, while testing immediately in an adjacent window marks a significant stride in user-friendly AI development. I can develop instructions for a GPT that I can use via the OpenAI API for my bespoke application at leadershipskillslab.ai. (ideally, I'd just embed the GPT instead of using the API but that's not currently possible)
While my primary interest is to create publicly available GPTs that simulate leadership skills practice, I have already created a personal GPT toolbox within my ChatGPT account to do frequent personal tasks. For example, I have a GPT that creates the correct format for journal, book, and website references for a book chapter I am writing. I could do it in native ChatGPT, but as instructions are pre-loaded, it saves me time and ensures consistency. Not ground-breaking but handy.
And now that OpenAI has created a "teams" access level where GPTs and conversations are shared within teams, it's easy to see the benefits of creating GPT tools shared between team members.
But there are a few things that would, for me, turbocharge GPTs:
1. Expand access beyond ChatGPT Plus users.
2. Enable embedding on websites.
3. Simplify the creation of actions through natural language.
4. Provide more lenient message volume thresholds for creators to test iteratively.
5. The GPT Store should spotlight innovative and unique applications of GPTs.
The GPT Store's journey is an evolving narrative. While it may not have initially sparked the creative fireworks we anticipated, the embers of potential are there.