OpenAI is trying to morph ChatGPT into something bigger than a chatbot. Recent updates hint at a bold direction. The company wants to turn ChatGPT into a “super app.” A place where you can do just about anything from within one platform.
The WeChat Blueprint
A super app isn’t just a tool. It’s an ecosystem that houses mini-programs that handle everything from payments to shopping to entertainment. The point is convenience. Users don’t need to leave the app to complete certain tasks. That’s exactly where ChatGPT seems to be headed.
The model for all this is WeChat. In China, WeChat evolved from a messaging app into a digital hub that runs nearly every aspect of daily life. It handles payments, social media, business communication, booking services, even government interactions. The apps that run within WeChat are used by hundreds of millions of people every day.
OpenAI is trying to recreate WeChat’s success. Developers can now build interactive mini-apps inside ChatGPT, letting users complete tasks without switching between platforms. You can design in Canva, create playlists for Spotify, even make payments. What was initially a simple chatbot will soon become a one-stop command center.
Why Aren’t Super Apps Popular in the West?
Replicating WeChat’s success in the West has been difficult.
WeChat works in China because of its unique environment. The app integrates itself with local merchants, payment systems, and government services. It also faces little competition from other tech giants, many of which are blocked in China.
The U.S. and Europe couldn’t be more different. Markets here are fragmented. Privacy regulations are stricter in Europe. Users are accustomed to using multiple apps that specialize in a specific purpose. The idea of a one all-purpose platform is foreign to Westerners. Payments, ride-hailing, shopping, and social media are all dominated by different companies, each one protective of their turf.
That fragmentation makes it hard for any single platform to become as dominant as WeChat. Even companies like Meta, PayPal, and Uber have tried to build their own super-apps and failed. Each ran into the same problem. Users don’t want everything bundled into one place, especially when privacy is a concern.
Why OpenAI Is Pushing Forward With the Idea
Still, OpenAI’s strategy fits with its mission. The company has been promoting the idea that AI will become the backbone of everyday life. Turning ChatGPT into a multi-purpose platform is the next step in that vision.
OpenAI is making the ChatGPT the center of the internet. Instead of opening ten different apps, you could simply ask ChatGPT to do things. Book a flight, design a poster, pay a bill. It handles the rest.
That’s not just about convenience. It’s about control. The more users rely on ChatGPT to manage their digital lives, the more indispensable the platform becomes.
Whether it can succeed depends on building partnerships and infrastructure. The culture of how people trust and use apps needs to change as well. WeChat succeeded because it became unavoidable. OpenAI’s challenge is that the West doesn’t want the internet to be centralized. Every app fights to keep its own walled garden intact.
ChatGPT’s transformation is redefining the role AI plays in our daily digital routines. If OpenAI can make ChatGPT the single app for everything, it won’t just change how we view AI. It’ll change how we use the internet.
