The OpenAI Build Hour session introduces developers to building and submitting interactive apps within ChatGPT, showcasing real-world examples like AllTrails, Adobe Express, and Quizzes, and demonstrating how to use tools like Codex and the Docs MCP server for rapid app development. The presenters provide best practices, technical guidance, and resources, emphasizing accessibility, creativity, and the potential for impactful AI-powered user experiences on the ChatGPT platform.
The video is an OpenAI Build Hour session focused on building apps within ChatGPT. Christine from the startup marketing team and Corey from the developer experience team introduce the session, which aims to empower developers and startups with best practices, tools, and AI expertise for scaling their products using OpenAI APIs and models. The session includes an overview of the ChatGPT apps platform, real-world use cases, a live demo of building an app, and guidance on using Codex and the newly launched Docs MCP server. The presenters also highlight the opportunity for developers to submit their own apps to the ChatGPT marketplace and answer questions from the audience.
Corey demonstrates several existing apps within ChatGPT, such as AllTrails for finding hiking trails, Adobe Express for creating visual content, and Quizzes for generating dynamic quizzes. These examples showcase how apps can leverage external data, provide interactive UI components, and create engaging user experiences directly within ChatGPT. The AllTrails app, for instance, can filter trails based on user preferences like dog-friendliness, while Adobe Express allows users to design event flyers with contextual information. The Quizzes app dynamically generates questions and tracks user performance, illustrating the flexibility of app design within the platform.
The session then transitions to a technical walkthrough of building a ChatGPT app using Codex and the Docs MCP server. Corey explains the traditional development process—reading documentation, downloading sample code, and referencing component libraries—and contrasts it with the AI-first approach enabled by Codex. By integrating the Docs MCP server, developers can scaffold new apps more quickly, leveraging OpenAI’s documentation and SDKs directly within their coding environment. Corey demonstrates this by prompting Codex to generate a simple ping pong game app, which is then run locally and side-loaded into ChatGPT for testing.
After the initial demo, Corey showcases a more advanced version of the ping pong app, featuring real-time multiplayer functionality and post-game analysis powered by the model. This example highlights the potential for rich, interactive, and collaborative experiences within ChatGPT, as well as the ability to use AI for personalized feedback and insights. The presenters emphasize the importance of building apps that provide real utility, leverage conversational context, and create visually engaging experiences. They also discuss best practices for UI/UX, app submission guidelines, and the use of pre-built UI components to ensure consistency and quality.
The session concludes with a Q&A segment addressing topics such as MCP server compatibility, local development tooling, design customization, authentication flows, and app categories. The presenters provide additional resources, including links to the apps SDK, UI guidelines, and example repositories. They encourage viewers to experiment with building their own apps, participate in future Build Hours, and explore the evolving capabilities of the ChatGPT apps platform. The overall message is one of accessibility, creativity, and rapid iteration, empowering developers to create impactful AI-powered applications within ChatGPT.