OpenAI Overhauls ChatGPT Into AI Agents Superapp Ahead of 2026 IPO, Nearly 1B Users

According to more than a dozen current and former OpenAI employees, the company is preparing a major overhaul of ChatGPT ahead of its planned 2026 IPO listing. The San Francisco-based firm intends to transform the chatbot into a "superapp" combining coding tools and AI agents, with executives believing this shift will generate higher revenues. The changes reflect OpenAI's conviction that the future lies in AI agents performing tasks for users rather than chatbots answering questions.

OpenAI views ChatGPT—which has attracted nearly 1 billion users since its 2022 launch—as a gateway to higher-value products, as the majority of consumers currently use it for free. The $850 billion company faces growing pressure to drive revenues and profitability as it prepares for the IPO, while intensifying competition with rival Anthropic.