OpenAI has introduced Businesses in ChatGPT, a beta feature that lets companies manage how they appear in the chatbot and talk to customers through their own AI agents. It targets the 1.2 billion people who use ChatGPT every week.
What Business Hub does
Business Hub is the entry point. Eligible businesses can claim their ChatGPT profile, verify ownership and update key details about the company. They can also upload product feeds with prices and availability, which OpenAI says will help ChatGPT give users more accurate, up-to-date answers about products and services. Shopify merchants can connect their stores through Business Hub or the Shopify admin. Businesses without a Shopify store can claim and verify their profile directly. Existing OpenAI enterprise customers and advertisers can ask their OpenAI representatives for help.
What companies will be able to see
Business Hub also provides analytics, including how often a business is mentioned in ChatGPT answers, how many users view its profile and how many click through to its website. Companies can see common topics that come up in conversations where their sites are cited, which OpenAI says can help them understand what customers want. Insights are shared in aggregate and appear only when activity is high enough to protect user privacy. OpenAI says it will not share users' chats, including conversations with Business Agents, with businesses.
Business Agents
After claiming a profile, eligible businesses can build, test and launch a Business Agent. When a user finds a business in a ChatGPT answer, they can open its profile and start a conversation with that company's agent, if one exists. Customers can ask about products, compare features and work out which option suits them.
Where it is available
Business Hub is open to eligible businesses in any market where ChatGPT is available. Business Agents are limited for now to eligible e-commerce and online service businesses in the US. OpenAI calls the launch an early step and says it plans to expand to more countries and business categories, along with tools for organisations with more complex needs.
Links to advertising
Businesses can sponsor their agents and use them as destinations for ChatGPT Ads. OpenAI says sponsored placements will be clearly labelled and kept separate from regular ChatGPT responses. The move builds on Sponsored Agents, which OpenAI began testing in September, The Next Web reported.
Pricing
Business Hub and Business Agents are free at launch.
