OpenAI adds business profiles and analytics to ChatGPT

Companies will also be able to create specialized agents so ChatGPT users can ask questions about a business and what it offers. OpenAI said the tools are an early step toward bringing businesses more deeply into the platform as people use AI to discover products, compare options and make decisions.

The hub’s insights will include profile views, business mentions and website clicks, among other measures. Businesses must complete a verification process, but OpenAI has not detailed how it will work. Benji Shomair, the company’s vice president of monetization, told journalists Monday that it uses “multiple verification methods” for different types of businesses in different markets.

The profiles and metrics resemble tools offered by Google and other search engines, positioning ChatGPT as a place to learn about companies as well as ask questions about them. OpenAI previously tried to turn ChatGPT into an e-commerce destination where users could buy products directly. That effort, which included a commission system and a checkout cart, failed to gain traction; the company retired it in March.

The new initiative gives businesses a presence and some visibility into user interactions, but it is distinct from the abandoned direct-purchase effort. Whether it proves more successful remains unclear.