OpenAI announced the news on Thursday, sharing how ChatGPT Windows app has Advanced Voice mode, as well as its latest model o1-preview. Windows users can use the Alt + Space shortcut to invoke ChatGPT.

Users can also search the web, share screenshots and upload files and photos to the app. The desktop app is available to Windows 10 and 11 versions.

The ChatGPT desktop app for Macs has been out since last May, but it got some updates, too. OpenAI has added integration with developer tools like VS Code, Xcode, Terminal, and iTerm2, so users don't have to manually copy and past code into the chat. Integration with coding tools is available for ChatGPT Plus and Team users, with Enterprise and Edu access coming in the next few weeks. An OpenAI spokesperson said they plan to add access to more apps soon.

Desktop apps with third-party app integration and contextual understanding positions ChatGPT as a more useful tool to compete with Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. To further complicate things, OpenAI's AI models underpin Copilot and OpenAI also has a partnership with Apple to bring ChatGPT integration to Macs.

Copilot and Gemini still have an edge over the standalone ChatGPT app because they're deeply integrated into Microsoft and Google's respective ecosystems, seamlessly connecting to software that users are already familiar with. Copilot works with Windows 10 and 11, Microsoft 365 apps, and Edge. Gemini has various levels of integration with Gmail, Docs, Chrome, and more; the Google AI tool is also housed inside the latest Chromebooks.

As the race for AI dominance barrels ahead, the next phase is shaping up to be all about agents that can perform tasks on the user's behalf. Microsoft already has customizable agents with Copilot Studio, and both Google and OpenAI are rumored to be launching their own AI agents for browsing the web and other tasks. Advancement of desktop apps creates deeper integration into users' daily lives, which might become more useful with agents capable of multi-step reasoning.