SAN FRANCISCO – OpenAI is delaying the launch of an online store for people to interact with an array of chatbots customised by its users, citing the interruption caused by the ousting and reinstatement of chief executive Sam Altman.

OpenAI shared the news in an e-mail on Nov 30 to people who have been building GPTs, its term for the customisable versions of its popular ChatGPT chatbot.

The company said it plans to roll out its GPT Store in early 2024, rather than in late 2023 as it had initially planned.

“While we had expected to release it this month, a few unexpected things have been keeping us busy,” the e-mail said.

San Francisco-based OpenAI announced on Nov 6, at its first developer conference, that users could start building custom versions of ChatGPT without needing to learn any coding. The move could help the artificial intelligence start-up beat back competition in an increasingly crowded market.

At the time, OpenAI said it planned to introduce a store later that month, where users could find tailored chatbots from other users – and make money from their own – much as they might with apps in Apple’s App Store.

In the e-mail, OpenAI said it had previously intended to roll out the store in December, before its timeline shifted. 

On Nov 17, the company’s directors dismissed Mr Altman, saying in a statement that he was not “consistently candid” with OpenAI’s board, “hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities”.

The decision touched off a whirlwind five days at the company, including shifts in executive roles and nearly all employees signing a letter saying they may quit if Mr Altman was not rehired.

Mr Altman officially returned as CEO, along with a different board, on Nov 29.

An OpenAI spokesperson said the company had no additional comment. BLOOMBERG