During OpenAI‘s Spring update livestream today, CTO Mira Murati announced that the company is democratizing access to several subscription-only features previously reserved for paying users of ChatGPT. The standout highlight is the launch of the GPT Store to all users for free, empowering individuals to create custom chatbots and explore a curated selection of innovative AI models.

The GPT Store originally debuted just four months ago on January 10th, exclusively for paid subscribers. This virtual marketplace allows users to develop and share their unique chatbots, known as GPTs. Presently, some of the most popular bots include a bot capable of generating images, a scientific research-focused chatbot named Consensus, and even a logo-making bot.

One significant update shared by OpenAI is the introduction of an engagement-based revenue-sharing initiative for GPT creators, which began trial runs in March. However, the potential audience for these bots had been restricted due to the paywall, limiting exposure and interaction.

In addition to the GPT Store expansion, Murati unveiled GPT-4o, described as a multimodal “omnimodel” boasting chatbot capabilities alongside advanced vision-based analysis and live chat functionalities. OpenAI also announced the rollout of a desktop application tailored for Mac users (with plans for a Windows counterpart later this year) and highlighted forthcoming enhancements to the ChatGPT web interface. Murati emphasized the company’s commitment to refining the user experience, ensuring that the focus remains on collaborative interactions with ChatGPT rather than grappling with the user interface.

OpenAI further sweetened the deal for free users by granting them access to previously restricted capabilities, such as file and photo uploads for summarization and analysis, web searches facilitated through ChatGPT, and the utilization of GPT-4 with memory of prior conversations. These features, once exclusive to subscribers, are now available to all, underscoring OpenAI’s dedication to broadening accessibility to advanced AI tools.