Why Capability-driven Protocols Are Key For Chatgpt Apps

OpenAI’s Apps SDK launched successful early October, enabling developers to build mini web apps for ChatGPT. While we haven’t yet seen nan promised ChatGPT app store, third-party developers person already begun to research pinch nan SDK. For instance, TELUS Digital has built a proof-of-concept ChatGPT app, “a banal and news locator pinch marketplace data, interactive visualizations and civilization UI components.”

Adam Shea, head of engineering astatine TELUS Digital, shared his thoughts astir ChatGPT apps via an email interview.

Choosing React for ChatGPT App Development

To reiterate, ChatGPT apps are fundamentally web-based applications that tally wrong ChatGPT conversations. Which intends each nan benefits of modern web improvement are disposable to developers — including nan expertise to usage powerful JavaScript aliases web autochthonal techniques. As Shea noted successful a method blog post, “one of nan astir important advantages of nan Apps SDK is support for modern component-based development.”

In my first station astir Apps SDK successful October, I noted that location are 2 main constituent approaches available: utilizing React, aliases utilizing autochthonal Web Components. In TELUS Digital’s case, they opted to usage React. I asked Shea why they went that direction.

“We utilized React chiefly owed to our team’s familiarity and its robust ecosystem,” he replied. “For endeavor applications, I’d propose React is often nan pragmatic choice, particularly if your squad already has React expertise and existing constituent libraries to leverage. I deliberation nan champion action really depends connected your team’s skills and existing tech stack.”

Understanding MCP and Capability-Driven Protocols

One of nan insights TELUS Digital learned while building a ChatGPT app is that MCP servers aren’t conscionable API endpoints. “MCP [Model Context Protocol] represents a displacement from request-response APIs to capability-driven protocols,” wrote Shea successful nan blog post.

This seems for illustration it would require a batch of testing, particularly if you’re creating a ChatGPT type of an endeavor application. For example, you’d want to make judge nan AI consequence is not a hallucination. I asked Shea really endeavor developers tin accommodate to this caller “capability-driven” mindset. Do testing and observability go moreover much important now?

“For enterprise-scaled applications, you would want immoderate measurement that tin validate nan model’s output against its input…”
– Adam Shea, head of engineering, TELUS Digital

“Great question. Because nan LLM is mostly restating immoderate it receives from nan MCP, nan existent attraction becomes ensuring that nan information you nonstop it is accurate, complete, and system for nan acquisition you want to deliver,” he replied. “For enterprise-scaled applications, you would want immoderate measurement that tin validate nan model’s output against its input truthful we cognize nan information hasn’t changed.”

He mentioned Fuel iX Fortify, an AI level co-owned by TELUS Digital and its genitor company, TELUS (a Canadian conglomerate). Shea said this instrumentality provides “automated testing and vulnerability assessments” to thief enterprises tally AI apps.

AI Frameworks and Alternatives to ChatGPT Apps

I precocious said to Vercel’s Andrew Qu astir its use of Next.js to build ChatGPT apps. So I asked Shea whether they person utilized immoderate of nan caller Vercel tooling and, if so, what his first impressions were. And if they haven’t tried it, what are his thoughts connected nan imaginable emergence of frameworks for building ChatGPT apps (or so immoderate AI adjunct app)?

“I haven’t had a chance to cheque retired their ChatGPT app-based tooling yet, but arsenic ChatGPT app take increases and nan SDK continues to evolve, location will undoubtedly beryllium ways to streamline nan build, test, and deployment process,” he said, adding that he’s a instrumentality of Vercel’s tooling and various integrations pinch different products.

Shea besides noted that nan reappraisal process for getting a ChatGPT app approved is mostly manual and involves moving pinch OpenAI directly. But he expects that will soon change.

“I would ideate that arsenic nan level gains much structure, it should go imaginable to create tooling that automates nan afloat build, test, and deploy workflow, conscionable for illustration successful iOS and Android ecosystems.”

In my October post, I excessively compared nan upcoming ChatGPT app shop to iOS and Android ecosystems, but it’s worthy noting that location are imaginable unfastened root alternatives to ChatGPT apps. I’ve covered MCP-UI in-depth this year (it came retired earlier nan Apps SDK), because it offers a measurement to embed mini web apps wrong of any AI adjunct — including ChatGPT. I asked Shea for his thoughts connected MCP-UI.

“I haven’t utilized it yet, but internally we’ve tried immoderate PoCs [Proof of concepts] pinch it for a abstracted initiative. It’s an absorbing parallel way to ChatGPT apps. With OpenAI putting their support down ChatGPT apps, I deliberation there’s going to beryllium important request to support that approach. I could spot nan 2 coexisting for a while arsenic nan ecosystem matures. The comparison is little from a method position and much from which level and users you want to target.”

What Types of Apps Are Suitable for ChatGPT?

So what types of endeavor apps does Shea deliberation will beryllium astir suitable for putting into ChatGPT, arsenic either a complementary app aliases possibly moreover arsenic a afloat replacement of an existing smartphone app?

“The past 2 years person mostly been astir layering generative AI onto nan apps group already use,” he replied. “The caller ChatGPT apps flip that exemplary by bringing apps into nan generative AI situation itself. I deliberation we’re heading toward a hybrid world wherever nan champion way really depends connected wherever your users and customers are and what they for illustration to prosecute with.”

He added that generative AI platforms, and peculiarly ChatGPT, “see exceptionally precocious engagement from younger generations.” So he thinks AI-based exertion improvement platforms for illustration OpenAI’s will go progressively important.

“The MCP excels astatine integrating various types of information from different sources into an LLM for illustration GPT.”
– Shea

As for nan types of apps suitable for integrating into ChatGPT, he thinks that MCP will enactment arsenic a benignant of hub for information — which will successful move thrust incentives to build a ChatGPT app.

“The MCP excels astatine integrating various types of information from different sources into an LLM for illustration GPT,” he said. “I deliberation nan opportunity for building ChatGPT apps could beryllium successful scenarios wherever nan usage of plain matter is insufficient and doesn’t connection an engaging personification experience. For example, a ocular acquisition whitethorn beryllium needed owed to much analyzable information aliases a circumstantial layout aliases because an statement wants to support a beardown marque beingness and ownership wrong nan ChatGPT interface.”

Shea added that he doesn’t needfully spot ChatGPT apps arsenic nan last shape facet for OpenAI successful its applications strategy.

“I person a hunch that nan measurement we build ChatGPT apps coming shares immoderate halfway ideas and building pinch nan imaginable smartphone level OpenAI has been rumored to beryllium launching successful nan future.”

The Future of ChatGPT Apps

We’re still successful nan very early stages of ChatGPT apps. TELUS Digital has, aft all, only created a proof-of-concept app truthful far. So I asked Shea whether it has immoderate ChatGPT apps successful accumulation that it has built aliases helped build for their customers?

“Yes, we person been moving pinch a starring supplier of financial news and marketplace intelligence for nan past month, and are successful nan last shape of building an authenticated acquisition wherever nan personification tin way equities complete clip and usage plain English to hunt done different stocks based connected circumstantial criteria.”

Meanwhile, immoderate well-known tech companies are engaged launching ChatGPT apps. Just successful nan past fewer days, Adobe announced ChatGPT apps for Photoshop, Acrobat, and Adobe Express; and earlier this week, OpenAI announced an Instacart app successful ChatGPT. Expect a batch much of these types of apps to travel into ChatGPT successful 2026 — including from some endeavor and independent third-party developers.

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