Today, OpenAI introduced its new Responses API—what some in the industry are already calling the “full-stack solution for large model APIs.” Essentially, OpenAI aims to merge the conversational prowess of the Chat Completions API with the tool-integration capabilities of the Assistants API. In other words, they want to make building intelligent agents a much simpler endeavor.
Now, don’t get me wrong—while this move has garnered plenty of applause, it’s not without its challenges. I mean, Chat Completions already powers a vast ecosystem of applications. Changing that, you know, comes with a hefty cost, and unless the transition is completely seamless, developers might be reluctant to make the switch. And sure, adding extra functionality sounds promising on paper, but it also introduces additional complexity and uncertainty. At its core, it feels like a minor technical upgrade rather than a revolutionary breakthrough—especially since it doesn’t address the fundamental issue that has always plagued the Assistants API: the business model.
Honestly, I believe the true future of large model APIs lies in their evolution into agents for a “data marketplace.” Think about it—since the late 20th century, we’ve known that the internet is essentially one giant computer. Now, picture the entire web as one massive computer, with the foundational large model serving as its central database. The sad truth is that this powerful database isn’t fully unleashing its potential, largely because a sustainable business model is missing. Tons of high-value private data are scattered all over this digital behemoth, yet they’re treated as if they’re free for the taking.
Here’s where things get interesting: once we start recognizing the inherent value of this data—not just as free resources to be scraped, but as assets that need to be rightfully “purchased” and exchanged—we can leverage the model’s robust data analysis capabilities to actually broker these transactions. It’s about time we transition from a static database to a dynamic, real-time data marketplace. In this vision, APIs would evolve beyond mere data interfaces; they’d become active agents in facilitating data transactions. And, honestly, when that happens, we might just witness not only a new wave of business model innovation but potentially a full-blown economic revolution.