OpenAI Launches Business Profiles in ChatGPT to Compete with Google
OpenAI announced on Tuesday (November 10) the rollout of Business Profiles in ChatGPT — a suite of tools that allows companies to create verified profiles within the app, manage product and service information, and offer "Business Agents": specialized AI agents that answer users' questions about the business. The feature is in beta and initially limited to e-commerce and online service businesses in the United States.
To grasp the scale of the move, it helps to remember that ChatGPT has already surpassed 1.2 billion weekly active users, up from 1 billion in just two months. According to Adam Fry, OpenAI's product lead, ChatGPT now processes roughly one-fifth of Google's search volume — an impressive figure given that this count covers only web searches triggered by the model, not internal conversations. It is the same reasoning that drove Apple to open the App Store to third-party developers: a platform needs external content to become indispensable.
What is the Business Hub
The Business Hub operates as a control panel where companies can claim their ChatGPT profile, once verified. The structure closely mirrors Google Business Profiles — which have existed since 2008 as Google Places — and the business pages of Bing and Yahoo. What OpenAI is offering is a set of capabilities:
- Profile management: updating basic information (hours, location, phone, website) - Product feeds: adding catalogs with real-time prices and availability - Engagement metrics: profile views, mentions in conversations, and clicks to the company website
Benji Shomair, OpenAI's VP of Monetization, told journalists on Monday that there are "multiple verification methods" for different business types and markets, though operational details of the verification process have not been disclosed.
Business Agents: when AI sells for you
The most ambitious piece of the launch is Business Agents. Unlike a static profile, a Business Agent is an AI trained on the company's data that can converse directly with users. When someone searches for a product in ChatGPT, they can click the company's verified profile and, if available, start a conversation with the Business Agent to ask specific questions.
Initial availability is limited to eligible e-commerce and online service businesses in the U.S. OpenAI plans to expand to more markets and business categories over time, but has not announced timelines or implementation costs.
The strategy behind it: Google and Amazon in one place
Opening ChatGPT to businesses is not just a goodwill gesture — it is a deliberate strategic shift. With Business Profiles, OpenAI is trying to position itself as the discovery point where consumers research, compare, and make decisions. This fits into two parallel trends:
1. Competition with Google: since generative AI gained popularity, Google has faced a decline in general queries. Users are searching for answers directly in ChatGPT instead of the search engine. Business Profiles are OpenAI's answer: if I can't be Google, I'll be where Google's business profiles live.
2. The lesson from the e-commerce failure: in March 2026, OpenAI abandoned a direct checkout project in ChatGPT — complete with shopping cart and commission fees — that aimed to compete with Amazon. The project never took off. Business Profiles represent a more nuanced approach: instead of trying to sell products directly, OpenAI wants to be the guide that drives users to the company's website. Revenue, when it comes, should flow from sponsored Business Agents and integration with ChatGPT Ads.
What this means for the AI market
The launch marks a turning point. For the first time, a generative AI company is becoming business infrastructure — not just a tool that companies use internally (like ChatGPT Enterprise) but a platform where businesses actively exist in front of consumers. ChatGPT is shifting from a Q&A app to a living catalog of companies.
One question remains: if ChatGPT becomes the primary place where consumers discover brands, will Google still be relevant as a discovery intermediary? Or will OpenAI achieve what the e-commerce project failed to do — transform ChatGPT into the internet's new discovery engine?
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*Article based on coverage by TechCrunch (Lucas Ropek), OpenAI's official announcement, and analysis by The Verge (Jay Peters). ChatGPT has 1.2 billion weekly active users and processes approximately 20% of Google's search volume, according to Adam Fry.
Sources: TechCrunch, OpenAI Blog, The Verge
✓ Independent sources cross-checked and verified before publishing
