Open Letter to OpenAI: Custom GPTs Have No Real Replacement for Business Users
Hybrid-Intelligence · reddit · 2026-09-20
A business user (HR & Responsible AI lead at a global nonprofit) publishes an open letter urging OpenAI not to retire Custom GPTs, arguing that Skills, Projects, Workspace Agents and Apps fail to replace them for SMB and enterprise needs.
Key capabilities being lost:
- Shared tool, private conversations: each user of a shared GPT gets an isolated chat and can't see instructions; a shared Project exposes everyone's chats, files and instructions — a nonstarter for confidential work.
- Hidden instruction layer: creators could keep proprietary workflows, quality controls and safety rules invisible while users benefit from them; migrating to editable Skills means surrendering configuration IP.
- Cross-organization sharing: GPTs could be shared with consultants, clients and vendors as the same configured tool.
- Native authenticated Actions: API key/OAuth integrations without needing developers.
The author argues Custom GPTs formed a lightweight business-app platform for non-developers — a unique OpenAI advantage — and asks the company not to remove it until a real replacement exists.
Related event: Users Urge OpenAI Not to Retire Custom GPTs Without a Real Replacement(2 posts)→
More from Apps
- Gopuff goes live inside Grok Bot, delivering orders in as fast as 15 minutes — gaganghotra_ · 2026-11-12
- Grok Bot 1.0 launches with support for joining Meet, Zoom and Teams calls — mark_k · 2026-11-12
- Interactions Tool Searches Web Animations by Motion for Claude Code to Rebuild — yuwen_lu_ · 2026-11-12
- Y Combinator-backed NxtCure Labs launches AI CRO with cancer digital twins — ycombinator · 2026-11-12
- Claude Fable 5.2 live blackboard teaching demo sparks debate: is this the end of YouTube tutorials? — _akpiper · 2026-11-12
- Hermes launches open-source workspace where Claude Code, Codex agents collaborate like teammates — ycombinator · 2026-11-12