In an AI-driven ecosystem, data and content need to be fluidly accessible to various systems and agents. Any SaaS platform that feels like a "walled garden," locking content away, will be rejected by power users. The winning platforms will prioritize open, interoperable access to user data.

OpenAI learned from its "Plugins" product that developers need control over their brand and user experience. The new Apps SDK allows custom UI components inside ChatGPT, a direct response to feedback that Plugins offered too little control, binding developers too tightly to the standard chat interface.

Pulse isn't just a feature; it's a strategic move. By proactively delivering personalized updates from chats and connected apps, OpenAI is building a deep user knowledge graph. This transforms ChatGPT from a reactive tool into a proactive assistant, laying the groundwork for autonomous agents and targeted ads.

As AI personalization grows, user consent will evolve beyond cookies. A key future control will be the "do not train" option, letting users opt out of their data being used to train AI models, presenting a new technical and ethical challenge for brands.

Recent security breaches (e.g., Gainsight/Drift on Salesforce) signal a shift. As AI agents access more data, incumbents can leverage security concerns to block third-party apps and promote their own integrated solutions, effectively using security as a competitive weapon.

Organizations must urgently develop policies for AI agents, which take action on a user's behalf. This is not a future problem. Agents are already being integrated into common business tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Salesforce, creating new risks that existing generative AI policies do not cover.

Digital trust with partners requires embedding privacy considerations into their entire lifecycle, from onboarding to system access. This proactive approach builds confidence and prevents data breaches within the extended enterprise, rather than treating privacy as a reactive compliance task.

An AI agent capable of operating across all SaaS platforms holds the keys to the entire company's data. If this "super agent" is hacked, every piece of data could be leaked. The solution is to merge the agent's permissions with the human user's permissions, creating a limited and secure operational scope.

OpenAI uses two connector types. First-party (1P) "sync connectors" store data to enable higher-quality, optimized experiences (e.g., re-ranking). Third-party (3P) MCP connectors provide broad, long-tail coverage but offer less control. This dual approach strategically trades off deep integration quality against ecosystem scale.