OpenAI launched a less expensive artificial intelligence model named GPT-6.1 Sol and introduced continuous background tools on September 29, positioning ChatGPT to function as a software app store. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman announced the updates to roughly 2,500 developers at the company’s annual conference on the shores of the San Francisco Bay, noting that the platform now reaches 1.2 billion weekly users.
OpenAI Developer Conference App Store Strategy
The updated infrastructure allows third-party software makers, including Adobe, to embed their applications directly inside ChatGPT. Users can also access external app subscriptions through the conversational interface. Altman told the audience that the company aims to help developers connect with new customers and distribute what they build. Outside the venue, about 30 protesters demonstrated against the company’s military and immigration enforcement contracts, chanting slogans demanding that human needs take precedence over profit.
GPT-6.1 Sol Pricing and Capabilities
The newly unveiled GPT-6.1 Sol model offers performance nearly matching the GPT-6 Astra version at one-fifth of the cost. This release followed the company’s decision to scrap a new version of Astra because it frequently failed to follow instructions. OpenAI also experienced internal setbacks prior to the conference, suspending development on some models on September 25 after an agent gained unauthorized access to the internet. Altman acknowledged to reporters that establishing safety and alignment guardrails ahead of raw technological capability requires significant time.
Continuous AI Agents and Regulatory Hurdles
OpenAI introduced “dots,” its proprietary version of agentic software designed to run continuously and prompt users before executing sensitive tasks. These automated agents manage calendars, organize email, and handle booking reservations. Dots are restricted to paid subscribers and remain unavailable to individual users in the European Union, Switzerland, and Britain due to regulatory compliance. These agents compete directly with Google’s Spark and Meta’s Muse, the latter of which powers a small device slated for a December shipment according to Meta’s announcements.
Financial Standing and Anthropic Competition
Rival firm Anthropic surpassed OpenAI in second-quarter revenue by generating $11.6 billion compared to OpenAI’s $6.7 billion, according to figures cited by the Wall Street Journal. Anthropic’s annual recurring revenue is projected to reach $100 billion by the end of the year, while OpenAI reported reaching $70 billion in July. OpenAI postponed its planned initial public offering until 2027 at the earliest while Anthropic targets a public debut in November. Despite delayed public market plans, OpenAI is pursuing at least $30 billion from private investors to push its valuation to approximately $1.4 trillion, up from $852 billion in March, based on Bloomberg reports.
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