OpenAI Launches a Beta for Businesses in ChatGPT

OpenAI is rolling out a beta program dedicated to businesses within ChatGPT. The offering includes verified profiles via Business Hub, aggregated interaction metrics, and Enterprise Agents, initially for e-commerce and online services in the United States. The company announces plans to expand to other markets and emphasizes privacy safeguards.

Expansion Announced to Other Markets and Categories

OpenAI presents this launch as a first step towards a deeper integration of businesses into ChatGPT. The publisher states it will start with precise business information, useful insights, and conversations designed to assist in informed decision-making. It plans to subsequently broaden the scope of Enterprises in ChatGPT and Enterprise Agents to other markets and business categories, as well as add tools for organizations with more complex needs. OpenAI also aims to explore additional ways for businesses to connect with customers, either directly or through agents, within ChatGPT and beyond. The stated goal is to make ChatGPT more useful for decision-makers and to offer businesses new ways to engage and grow.

Features Offered to Businesses in Business Hub

Through Business Hub, businesses have the opportunity to take ownership of their profile on ChatGPT, modify their data, and obtain analytics on user interactions with their brand. Once validated, an organization has the ability to update essential information and add self-service product catalogs, including pricing and availability. These features provide a direct channel for supplying structured business data to ChatGPT.

Enterprise Agents: Dedicated Conversations and Sponsored Formats

After claiming their profile, eligible organizations can create, test, and launch an Enterprise Agent to answer questions and assist in exploring their offerings. When a business appears in a model response, users can click to view its profile and then start a conversation with the agent if it is available. An agent can, for example, help compare products and link features to needs based on the company’s information. For customers, this can facilitate the evaluation of an offering's relevance, and for businesses, it serves as a personalized conversation channel with interested parties. These exchanges are clearly labeled, distinct from the user's initial thread and independent responses from ChatGPT. Additionally, businesses can sponsor their agent and use it as a destination for ChatGPT ads; these sponsored placements are marked and separated from the model's responses.

Aggregated Usage Data, Without Sharing Conversations

Business Hub provides aggregated metrics, such as the number of mentions of a business and clicks to its website, as well as discovery topics derived from recurring themes where the site is cited. These insights can help understand a brand's representation and identify areas for improvement in shared information. OpenAI states that it does not share user conversations or those held with Enterprise Agents with businesses. Metrics are only accessible once sufficient thresholds of conversations or interactions are reached, and the protection of the trust placed in ChatGPT is highlighted as a priority.

Availability, Eligibility, and Integration with Shopify

The feature is launched in beta to bring businesses closer to ChatGPT users, with OpenAI noting that 1.2 billion people use it each week. Eligible U.S. businesses in the e-commerce and online services sectors can benefit from Enterprise Agents. Any company meeting the eligibility criteria and based in an area where ChatGPT is accessible can claim its profile via Business Hub, while OpenAI Enterprise customers and advertisers have the option to go through their dedicated contact for this process. Shopify users have a connection from Business Hub or through the Shopify admin interface to facilitate the verification process, and their eligible products are already present in ChatGPT thanks to Shopify Catalog.