On January 3rd, The Wall Street Journal reported that Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has set his sights on creating an app store capable of rivaling Apple's. However, initial tests suggest that the user experience in his envisioned app store leaves much to be desired, and there is still a considerable journey ahead before it can supplant the traditional app ecosystem. Presently, ChatGPT's user base, exceeding 800 million, can already carry out specific tasks within the chatbot interface. This includes shopping for groceries through Instacart, curating playlists on Spotify, or discovering hiking trails on AllTrails, all without the need to switch to the native apps.

Nonetheless, tests have shown that utilizing the Uber mini-program within ChatGPT is more time-intensive than using the iPhone app directly. Moreover, it fails to facilitate direct ride bookings. Instead, users are redirected to Uber's website to finalize their reservations, requiring them to re-enter the pickup and drop-off locations. Similarly, when attempting to make a reservation through OpenTable via ChatGPT, the system generated error messages. In contrast, booking directly through OpenTable's official website was completed in mere seconds.

Additionally, when tasked with planning a budget-friendly ski vacation using Tripadvisor, ChatGPT displayed a map for 30 seconds before encountering an error. ChatGPT responded with, "Tripadvisor doesn't seem to be functioning properly," and then attempted to fill the void in its response with web search results. However, ChatGPT did provide a relatively satisfactory experience when using Instacart. It was capable of generating a menu based on user requests and automatically adding the necessary ingredients to the shopping cart. The checkout button seamlessly redirected to the user's account on the Instacart website, where they could proceed with payment and leave delivery instructions for the shopper.