Breaking: OpenAI is giving businesses a more direct way to participate in ChatGP
By Jasondelrey · November 11, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Breaking: OpenAI is giving businesses a more direct way to participate in ChatGPT, including the ability to create AI agents that can talk with potential customers.
During a press briefing Monday, I watched a demo in which ChatGPT recommended a fictional toy retailer. From there, a shopper could start a separate conversation with an AI agent representing that business.
I had a couple of questions.
First, many consumers have come to view ChatGPT, rightly or wrongly, as a relatively independent source of product advice. How does OpenAI preserve that trust when it starts directing those consumers to agents working on behalf of companies trying to sell them something?
OpenAI commerce chief Benji Shomair told me the business conversations will be clearly labeled and kept separate from regular ChatGPT conversations.
I also asked whether claiming a business profile or uploading a product catalog could influence which companies ChatGPT recommends. Shomair said there's no direct boost, but better information can help ChatGPT surface businesses in more relevant situations. OpenAI later clarified that uploaded catalogs are just one source of information models may rely on, and don't guarantee recommendations.
It's a distinction worth watching as OpenAI builds out what increasingly looks like a business platform around ChatGPT. Can you keep both consumers on one side and businesses on the other happy over the long term?
More in today's special edition of The Aisle: https://lnkd.in/eyuNdsCT