A few months ago, OpenAI launched a GPT store. This is a marketplace where people can create and list AI-powered chatbots that are customized to perform various tasks (coding, answering trivia questions, etc.). Yes, GPT stores are powerful. However, this requires using OpenAI's model rather than other models, which some chatbot creators and users object to.
So startups are creating alternatives.
One FlowGPT is for GenAI models such as Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, Meta's Llama 2, and OpenAI's DALL-E 3, as well as the front-end experience for those models (think text fields and prompt suggestions). It aims to become a kind of “app store” for. ). Through FlowGPT, users can build and publish their own GenAI-powered apps and get inspired to contribute.
Last year, Jay Dang, a computer science dropout from the University of California, Berkeley, and Lifan Wang, a former engineering manager at Amazon, were inspired by a shared desire to create a platform where people could quickly launch and share GenAI apps. Co-founded FlowGPT.
“There is still a learning curve for users to use AI,” Dang told TechCrunch in an email interview. “With each iteration, FlowGPT is lowering the bar and making it more accessible.”
Dang describes FlowGPT as an “ecosystem” of GenAI-powered apps, a collection of infrastructure and creator tools tied to a marketplace and community of GenAI app users. Users get a feed of recommended apps and app collections based on trending categories (e.g. “Creative”, “Programming”, “Games”, “Academic”), and creators get a feed of recommended apps and app collections based on trending categories (e.g. “Creative”, “Programming”, “Games”, “Academic”), and creators get their GenAI app's behavior ( and appearance).
Users interact with the GenAI app on FlowGPT through a chat window similar to ChatGPT. This window includes options to enter a prompt, thumb up (or thumb down) for an app, share a link to a conversation, or tip the individual app creator. Each app includes a description provided by its creator, as well as the date it was created, the number of times it has been used, and the power model recommended by the creator.
I say Model recommended by the author That's because the essence of a FlowGPT app is a prompt, a prompt that prompts your model to respond in a certain way. For example, the “Scary Girl in Horror Movies” app, as the title suggests, instructs ChatGPT to narrate a horror story involving one scared girl. “TitleTuner” optimizes your headlines for ChatGPT and improves your search engine rankings. SchoolGPT also leverages ChatGPT to solve math, physics, and chemistry problems step by step.
Image credits: Flow GPT
You can see that it relies heavily on ChatGPT. If you use FlowGPT long enough, you'll also notice that many of the prompts break when the model switches from the default.
In some cases, the problem may be that the model you choose does not have the right features. Prompts may also run into model filters and safeguards.
Regarding safeguards…
Some of FlowGPT's most popular apps are essentially jailbreaks designed to circumvent the model's safety measures. There are multiple versions of DAN on the market. “DAN” is a popular prompting technique used to make models respond to prompts without being bound by normal rules. Other examples include apps like WormGPT that claim to be able to code malware (links to a paid dark web version of the chatbot that does even more) and dating, which violates OpenAI's rules against promoting romantic relationships. There is also a simulator.
Many of these apps have the potential to cause harm, including therapy apps and apps that advertise themselves as authoritative medical resources. GenAI models like ChatGPT are notorious for providing health advice, and one study found that early versions of ChatGPT did not provide specific resources for seeking help related to suicide, addiction, and sexual assault. This indicates that very few introductions were made.
Any app that commits a violation on FlowGPT (for example, an app that uses an AI image generator to instruct how to generate deepfake nudes) can be reported to the platform's community manager for review. and FlowGPT do Provides a “sensitive content” toggle.
Image credits: Flow GPT
But looking at the homepage, it's clear that FlowGPT has moderation issues. This is a wild place for GenAI apps. The toggle is so ineffective that you hardly notice any difference in app selection once you switch it on.
Dang says that FlowGPT is actually an ethical and rules-abiding platform, and that “we ensure that[ing] Public safety. “
“We are actively engaging with leading experts in the field of AI ethics,” he said. “Our collaboration is focused on developing a comprehensive strategy to minimize the risks associated with AI deployment.”
Given that I acquired the FlowGPT app to provide instructions for drug sales and bank robberies, the company has some work to do.
Investors apparently feel otherwise.
This week, Goodwater announced that it led a $10 million “pre-Series A” round in FlowGPT with participation from existing backer DCM. Goodwater partner Coddy Johnson told TechCrunch via email that FlowGPT will “help lead the way” in GenAI by offering “the broadest choice” and “the most flexibility and freedom” for both users and creators. He said he thought so.
“We believe the greatest future for AI lies in open ecosystems,” Johnson added. “FlowGPT” [is letting] Creators can choose their own models and collaborate with the community. ”
Image credits: Flow GPT
I'm not sure all the administrators of the models FlowGPT uses share that enthusiasm, especially those who have vowed to make AI safety a top priority.
Nevertheless, in lieu of the influence from the aforementioned vendors (at least as of the publication of this article), FlowGPT is not yet generating revenue, but it is laying the groundwork for expansion. The company is beta testing an app for Android and iOS that brings an improved FlowGPT experience to mobile, is working on a revenue-sharing model for app creators, and is expanding its 10-person Berkeley-based team. Dunn said they are hiring for the project.
“With millions of monthly users and rapid growth rates, we have already proven that we are on the right track and believe now is the time to accelerate our progress.” he continued. “We are setting a new standard for immersion.
An AI-driven environment offers a world of unlimited creativity… [O]Our mission is to foster a more open, creator-focused platform. ”
Let's see how far that goes.