ChatGPT Launches Business Hub to Rival Google

OpenAI is putting a business directory inside ChatGPT, a move that lands squarely on turf Google has owned for years with its My Business tool. The new beta feature, called "Businesses in ChatGPT," lets companies set up a profile through a Business Hub, where they can edit their listing, upload product feeds with prices and stock status, and check how often their name comes up in user conversations or how many people click through to their site.

The bigger shift is what happens after a business signs up. Eligible US e-commerce and online service companies can build "Business Agents," AI agents that live inside ChatGPT and field customer questions directly, walk shoppers through product comparisons, and double as ad targets. Shopify sellers get a direct store connection, skipping manual setup. OpenAI says it keeps user conversations away from the businesses themselves, a distinction the company is likely to lean on as it courts retailers wary of handing over customer data.

With ChatGPT pulling in 1.2 billion weekly users, according to OpenAI, the stakes for getting this right are considerable. The company says more markets and industries are coming, which raises the question of how far this directory model will reach beyond its initial US rollout.