OpenAI is gearing up to challenge the dominance of Google, Apple, and Microsoft in the online authentication space with its upcoming “Sign in with ChatGPT” feature. Designed to let users access third-party apps using their ChatGPT credentials, this move aims to simplify login experiences while expanding AI’s integration into everyday consumer applications.
OpenAI will soon allow ChatGPT accounts to sign in to third-party apps, changing how users access them. This initiative, which was made public on Tuesday, is designed to capitalise on ChatGPT's substantial user base of approximately 600 million monthly active users and establish a seamless login experience across various kinds of apps.
Expanding ChatGPT's reach beyond AI chat tools
The new “Sign in with ChatGPT” option is designed to compete directly with existing identity services like Google Sign-In, Apple ID, and Microsoft Account. By enabling users to authenticate themselves using their ChatGPT credentials, OpenAI hopes to build a broader ecosystem beyond chatbots, potentially integrating AI deeply into consumer apps such as online shopping, social media, and productivity tools.
OpenAI recently showcased a developer preview of this feature through Codex CLI, an open-source AI coding assistant. This preview allowed developers to connect ChatGPT Free, Plus, or Pro accounts to their API accounts, with incentives of $5 and $50 in API credits offered to Plus and Pro users, respectively. The company is gauging developer interest through a form inviting apps with user bases ranging from under 1,000 weekly users to over 100 million, asking how they monetize AI features and their current use of OpenAI’s API.
Competing with tech giants in the identity space
This initiative signals OpenAI’s ambition to become a central player in the next generation of AI-powered platforms. CEO Sam Altman hinted at this strategy in 2023, suggesting a “sign in with OpenAI” feature might arrive in 2024. Although that timeline slipped, the company is now actively developing the service for a potential 2025 rollout.
If successful, “Sign in with ChatGPT” could simplify user access across multiple apps while creating a gateway for deeper AI integration. This would put OpenAI in direct competition with tech giants like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, which already dominate the online authentication market.
OpenAI has not yet disclosed a firm launch date or the number of companies involved in early testing, but the interest form and developer previews indicate serious momentum behind this new sign-in service.
