OpenAI's rumored 'superapp' could finally solve one of my biggest issues with ChatGPT

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• OpenAI is reportedly gathering a desktop superapp to unify its AI tools.
• Fragmented apps are limiting however often users similar maine usage these tools.
• A unified app could trim friction and amended agentic capabilities.

It sounds similar OpenAI whitethorn beryllium gathering thing that could marque it easier to find and entree astir of its AI tools successful 1 place.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the institution is readying a desktop "superapp" that combines ChatGPT, its Codex coding tool, and its Atlas browser into a azygous experience. The goal? To consolidate its enactment of AI tools and treble down connected agentic capabilities.

The study cites interior discussions and enactment changes, but OpenAI has not publically confirmed immoderate details oregon a motorboat timeline. CEO Sam Altman has besides yet to straight remark connected the alleged superapp connected X, wherever helium is typically precise active, arsenic of March 20.

Also: I tested GPT-5.4 Thinking, and it gave large answers (until I dove deeper)

Still, if true, it could beryllium a measurement successful the close direction, for maine astatine least. Right now, utilizing OpenAI's products means juggling aggregate apps. It's honestly the biggest crushed I don't usage immoderate of them arsenic overmuch arsenic I'd like, particularly Atlas.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's genitor company, filed an April 2025 suit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights successful grooming and operating its AI systems.)

The existent contented is friction

I trial AI a batch for work, from Claude to Gemini, but ChatGPT is the 1 I support going backmost to most. I usage it to research, find deals, edit images with Adobe, place Instacart orders, make presentations, check for scams, and adjacent person amusive with my girl by bringing her artwork "to life." Do I deliberation different tools bash definite things better? Yes. But for astir things AI, it's wherever I start.

Also: I stopped utilizing ChatGPT for everything: These AI models bushed it

Unfortunately, implicit the past mates of years, ChatGPT has added immoderate friction to the experience. I tin nary longer spell to 1 website successful my browser, oregon adjacent 1 app connected my desktop oregon phone, to entree everything OpenAI offers. For instance, if I privation assistance with automation, I request to power to Codex. It's incredibly powerful, but it's an wholly abstracted app that I person to download.

Atlas is different example. When it archetypal launched, I often tested it for buying and antithetic agentic capabilities, and it was a batch of fun. In 1 case, I adjacent fto it compile and spot a Walmart bid for me, and find the champion tickets to Disney connected Ice.

But I person stopped utilizing it implicit the past fewer months for 1 elemental reason: I unrecorded successful Chrome connected my desktop. Opening a abstracted AI browser requires maine to interruption my mean workflow. Sorry, but I'm a carnal of habit. Plus, Chrome is progressively adding much Gemini capabilities. Recently, I utilized its Autopilot agentic feature to shop, research, and email for me.

Then determination is Sora. To beryllium clear, it's not presently rumored to beryllium included successful OpenAI's upcoming "superapp," but that would beryllium nice. I utilized it a batch astatine first, similar erstwhile I animated my daughter's artwork, and it's beauteous cool. But again, it lives connected its ain and is constricted to my phone. Now I cannot retrieve the past clip I opened it. Why indispensable everything beryllium separated?

I'm a carnal of wont

The crushed I don't usage Codex, Atlas, oregon Sora often is not due to the fact that they deficiency features oregon capabilities. It's due to the fact that they necessitate maine to power betwixt apps. That mightiness dependable minor, but it adds up quickly. Every other app is different download, different login, and different wont to maintain. I'm already trying to cut down connected my surface time, and that includes limiting the apps I use.

So astir of the time, I default backmost to what's easiest. That means staying successful 1 place, whether that's ChatGPT successful my desktop browser oregon the app connected my phone. It besides means I extremity up utilizing lone a fraction of what OpenAI has built. That's the problem, and apt wherefore OpenAI believes a superapp makes a batch of sense. Putting ChatGPT, Codex, and Atlas into 1 interface could region the friction keeping galore people, myself included, from utilizing each of its tools. It would besides align with wherever AI is going.

Also: AI agents of chaos? How bots talking to bots tin spell sideways fast

Agentic AI is designed to implicit tasks crossed aggregate steps, whether that's researching, coding, oregon browsing. But wouldn't AI agents enactment champion if each those capabilities lived successful the aforesaid place? One app to inquire a question, constitute code, browse the web, make media, and implicit tasks without jumping around. The happening is, I privation this everywhere, not conscionable connected desktop.

Bring the ChatGPT superapp to phones, too, OpenAI.

When volition this really happen?

I'm guessing it volition hap successful stages, not each astatine once.

The Wall Street Journal reported that apical executives, including Altman, person spent the past fewer weeks reviewing OpenAI's merchandise portfolio and identifying areas to deprioritize. In a caller all-hands meeting, Chief of Applications Fidji Simo reportedly told employees they could not spend to beryllium distracted by "side quests." The institution is besides intimately watching Anthropic, which has been gaining traction with endeavor and coding customers, and is present operating with a consciousness of urgency described internally arsenic "code red."

Also: How to power from ChatGPT to Claude: Transferring is easy 

But isn't gathering a superapp inactive a broadside quest, adjacent if it is meant to consolidate each the others?

Nevertheless, based connected the report, OpenAI is expected to rotation retired much precocious cause capabilities successful Codex successful the coming months earlier merging everything into a azygous experience. It's focused connected the desktop, with ChatGPT's mobile app remaining unchanged.