ChatGPT is adding a way for people to ask questions directly to AI agents that represent businesses. The new Business Agents are designed to explain a company’s offerings and answer follow-up questions, including comparisons between products.
How Business Agents appear in ChatGPT
A conversation with an agent can begin when a business that has created one appears in a ChatGPT response. Users can then ask about what the business offers or ask for help understanding how two products differ.
The feature is launching first for “eligible” e-commerce and online service businesses in the US. Businesses can provide context and instructions for their agents, shaping how they respond to customer questions.
That gives companies a way to take part in discovery while people are already researching options. For a user, the agent may provide a direct route from a ChatGPT recommendation to more detail about a business and its products.
Labels and verification are part of the setup
OpenAI says chats with Business Agents will be clearly labeled and kept separate from a person’s main ChatGPT conversation. The distinction is intended to make it clear when someone is speaking with an agent acting for a business.
Businesses can claim their organization and seek verification through Business Hub. OpenAI has not shared the specific verification methods, saying the methods differ across businesses. Benji Shomair, VP of monetization, discussed that point in a press briefing.
Verification is central to the feature’s premise: users should be able to recognize that an agent represents the company it claims to represent. The available information does not detail how each business will be checked, so the process will vary according to OpenAI.
Business Hub offers visibility insights
Business Hub is also intended to show companies how they surface in ChatGPT. OpenAI says businesses will be able to see mentions in ChatGPT responses and the top “discovery topics” connected to appearances of their business.
Those insights could help a company understand the subjects that lead people to encounter it through ChatGPT. Paired with the ability to create an agent, the hub gives businesses both a view of their presence and a channel for answering questions once they are discovered.
The announcement is part of a broader suite of business-focused ChatGPT features being introduced in beta. OpenAI describes the initial work as a foundation built around accurate business information, useful insights and conversations that help people make informed decisions.
An early step in business participation
OpenAI says it plans to explore more ways for businesses to connect with customers, either directly or through agents, in ChatGPT and beyond. The company’s stated aim is to make ChatGPT more useful for people making decisions while giving businesses new ways to participate and grow.
For now, the described experience centers on information and conversation: businesses provide context for agents, users ask about offerings or compare products, and companies can review where they appear in ChatGPT. The announcement does not describe additional functions beyond those capabilities.
The approach brings business representation into the same setting where people may be weighing options. Clear labels, separate chats and a verification process are the elements OpenAI says will help distinguish these company agents as the feature begins rolling out to eligible businesses in the US.