This week, OpenAI unveiled a new capability allowing apps to run directly inside ChatGPT, enabling users to book travel, create playlists, and edit designs without switching between multiple applications. This innovation sparked excitement, with some declaring it the future of app platforms and predicting a ChatGPT-dominated ecosystem that could potentially challenge Apple’s App Store.
Despite this emerging competition, Apple’s vision for a revamped Siri—even though still delayed—could maintain the company’s stronghold in the app industry and redefine app interaction in the AI era. With control over its hardware, operating system, and approximately 1.5 billion iPhone users globally—compared to ChatGPT’s 800 million weekly active users—Apple holds significant advantages. If successful, Apple could modernize app usage without sacrificing its dominant position.
Apple’s concept is to eliminate the traditional app icon without eliminating apps themselves. Introduced at last year’s developer conference, Apple envisions an AI-powered system with an overhauled Siri where users interact more through voice and text, reducing the need for tapping and navigating icons.
The Changing Landscape of App Interaction
The familiar model of organizing tappable icons on an iPhone home screen is becoming outdated. These icons, a miniaturized form of a desktop computer interface, are less relevant as AI assists users in new ways. Consumers now often seek recommendations or insights from AI assistants instead of launching dedicated apps or performing web searches. Voice interactions through smart speakers or AirPods are growing, making chatbots and AI responses a more natural, easier way to get information.
AI models, trained on vast amounts of data, directly deliver answers, simplifying the user experience compared to scrolling through search results or navigating complex app interfaces. This ease explains why AI-driven assistance is appealing.
ChatGPT’s App Model: Pros and Cons
While OpenAI’s system enhances app integration, it remains confined to the ChatGPT environment, requiring users to engage with the chatbot interface. Users must name the app explicitly to activate it and phrase queries precisely—missteps can result in frustrating delays or errors. In early tests, this has led to loading issues without results.
The question remains whether this is the future or just a stopgap until alternative solutions emerge—especially with Apple gearing up its Siri upgrades. Despite Siri’s current reputation, Apple’s ecosystem benefits from user familiarity and a vast installed base of apps.
Setting up ChatGPT’s app platform also presents hurdles: users must install apps, complete multiple authentication steps, and navigate permission screens. However, once set up, actions like launching a Spotify playlist are straightforward.
In comparison, Apple aims to enable app control via natural voice or text commands with Siri, which could offer a more seamless experience.
Limitations of ChatGPT’s Approach
OpenAI’s app experience currently limits users to one app at a time, preventing easy multitasking across apps—a critical feature for activities such as comparing hotel prices. Additionally, operating inside ChatGPT strips away app branding and UI identity, which some users may miss or appreciate depending on their preferences. In many cases, using the full mobile app might still be more flexible.
Without a compelling reason to switch, users might not adopt ChatGPT’s app platform broadly, especially if alternatives integrated into devices they already own become available.
Apple’s AI-Powered Siri: Can It Redeem Itself?
Apple’s WWDC 2024 showcased how their AI enhancements integrate directly with apps without extra developer work—apps like note-taking tools could automatically use AI features like proofreading. Developers using SiriKit could unlock more app actions via Siri.
Apple’s focus categories include Notes, Media, Messaging, Payments, Restaurant Reservations, VoIP Calling, and Workouts, allowing Siri to interact with app menus and screen text naturally. For example, users could ask Siri to open presenter notes in a slide deck or FaceTime a friend based on context, without rigid commands.
Enhancements to Apple’s Intents framework expand support to categories like Books, Browsers, Cameras, Document Readers, and more, providing predefined, trained “Intents” for developers—making app interactions more intuitive and discoverable through Siri.
Unlike ChatGPT, Apple’s ecosystem includes hardware, its own OS, an established App Store, APIs, and robust privacy controls to personalize experiences safely.
The Road Ahead for AI App Platforms
OpenAI’s app system relies on developer adoption of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and currently supports only a few apps such as Booking.com, Spotify, and Canva. Broad adoption delays could give Apple a competitive edge.
Reports indicate Apple is internally testing an upgraded Siri that responds seamlessly to voice commands and supports major apps like Uber, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Apple confirms the feature is on track for release next year.
OpenAI is aware of the challenge, exploring hardware possibilities with former Apple design chief Jony Ive to integrate AI more deeply into users’ lives. However, the public remains cautious about always-on AI devices due to privacy and social concerns, raising questions about the viability of new AI hardware.
Conclusion: Apple’s Strength vs. OpenAI’s Innovation
For now, OpenAI’s app platform essentially lets users control other apps via ChatGPT, whereas Apple aims to eliminate the need for an intermediary like ChatGPT by empowering Siri to control apps directly on the iPhone.
If Apple executes its AI vision successfully, it could preserve its dominance in app ecosystems while modernizing how users interact with technology in the AI era, making the iPhone platform difficult to disrupt—even for a giant like OpenAI. Conversely, Apple’s ability to overcome Siri’s reputational challenges is critical for this vision to succeed.
In essence, the battle for the future of app platforms is not just about AI but about the integration of AI, hardware, and user experience—and Apple remains a formidable contender.
