OpenAI is preparing to roll out a significantly revamped version of ChatGPT in the coming weeks, positioning the chatbot as a ‘super app’ that integrates coding tools and autonomous AI agents. According to the Financial Times, the move marks a strategic shift for the company as it seeks to sharpen its competitive edge against rivals like Anthropic and edge closer to profitability ahead of a potential initial public offering.
The updated ChatGPT is designed to function as a gateway, drawing free users toward paid products such as Codex, OpenAI’s coding assistant. The company’s ambition is to transform the platform into a central hub where users can manage a wide range of tasks, from software development to daily personal errands, all through a single interface. Thibault Sottiaux, who leads OpenAI’s core product and platform, described the vision as creating a product ‘where you have your own personal agent that is capable of helping you … across everything in your life, be it personally or at work.’
The redesign will push users more clearly toward tools such as image generation and app integrations with services including Canva, Booking.com, Figma and Spotify. The aim is to keep users inside ChatGPT for more of their daily work, rather than letting it remain a place where they ask questions and leave. This comes as ChatGPT reportedly has about 900 million weekly users and more than 50 million paying consumers. Codex alone has more than 5 million weekly users, up more than sixfold since the desktop app launched in February.
The timing of the overhaul has raised eyebrows, as it arrives before any public IPO filing and looks like a deliberate attempt to sharpen the revenue story. OpenAI is preparing for what could become one of the most closely watched listings in US market history, with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley advising on a potential IPO that could value the company at as much as $1 trillion. Its annualised revenue has reportedly topped $25 billion, and enterprise customers already account for about 40% of sales.
However, costs remain a concern. HSBC analysts estimate that OpenAI may need more than $207 billion in additional funding by 2030, while internal projections point to losses of about $14 billion in 2026 alone. Deutsche Bank Research noted: ‘It has yet to be seen how public markets will value OpenAI and its peers once they open up their financial statements to scrutiny.’ Sceptics like NYU Stern professor Scott Galloway have warned that the gap between spending and revenue remains too wide, and if the narrative unravels, ‘it’s going to be ugly… there’s going to be nowhere to hide.’
