OpenAI appears to be exploring how ChatGPT could move beyond an app and into an operating system. The direction suggests that ChatGPT could become a central software layer for apps and services, rather than just another app that you open and close. This ambition became clearer after OpenAI hired Glen Coates as its new head of app platform to “turn ChatGPT into an operating system.”
The idea is not limited to hiring a manager. Nick Turley, head of ChatGPT at OpenAI, has also publicly focused on the same direction. Turley told TechCrunch that ChatGPT might one day function more like an operating system.
“The development we want to push forward in the next few years is one where ChatGPT itself is more like an operating system on which you can use applications. If you want to write, there’s an app for that. If you want to code, there’s an app for that. If you want to interact with goods and services, there are applications for that.” he said.
How ChatGPT could become an operating system
The changes are already visible in ChatGPT. The platform has evolved beyond simple conversation to become a front door for search, recall and AI-driven actions. With the introduction of apps in ChatGPT, third-party services can now run directly in the chatbot. Integrations for apps like Peloton, Tripadvisor, Canva, Spotify, etc. allow users to complete tasks without leaving the conversation. It shows how an app ecosystem could exist entirely within ChatGPT.
An operating system typically acts as a connecting layer between users, applications and hardware. ChatGPT already handles much of the user-facing side of this equation, serving as the interface through which people search, ask questions, and complete tasks. However, parts of deeper platform coordination and hardware integration are still missing. What matters here is Coates’ background in building large platforms.
The timing of Coates’ arrival also coincides with other long-term bets. OpenAI is working with Jony Ive on an AI-powered device expected to launch in 2027, while continuing to expand partnerships with app makers such as Adobe and Paypal.
Combined with its data center infrastructure and growing ecosystem, ChatGPT could one day become an AI operating system. There’s still no timeline for when or if this will happen, but the direction OpenAI ChatGPT is heading is becoming harder to ignore.
