OpenAI killed new custom GPTs. Now what?

If you've built custom GPTs to share with clients or sell as a product, this one's for you. Come build a protected version with me live on August 28: https://graviastudio.com/build/?code=... On August 16th, 2026, OpenAI stopped letting personal accounts (Free, Go, Plus and Pro) create or publish new custom GPTs. Existing ones still work. Editing still works with an eligible subscription. Creating a new one to share is what's gone, and there was no email about it. In this episode I break down what actually changed, what I found when I tested my own account, and the bigger question for expertise-based businesses. If your frameworks and methodology live inside a tool on somebody else's platform, what happens the next time the rules move? This is a conversation about platform risk, AI for entrepreneurs, and building expert-backed AI you actually own. In this episode: • What OpenAI changed on August 16th, in their own words • What still works and what doesn't (tested, not guessed) • Why an 852 billion dollar valuation explains more than the help doc does • How to back up your GPT instructions, knowledge files and settings this week • What multi-tenant access and data privacy mean for a non-technical builder • How a bot squad differs from a single custom GPT CHAPTERS 0:00 What OpenAI changed without telling you 0:25 The exact wording of the new rule 1:22 What still works, and what doesn't 2:13 The IPO theory nobody's saying out loud 4:01 Back up everything you've built 5:49 You built something OpenAI never intended 8:36 What a bot squad actually looks like 10:55 The part vibe coders forget about 12:21 Claude and wAIv, the wedding of the century 15:47 No need to panic, but do decide ▶ Build and sell AI tools powered by your own methodology: https://graviastudio.com/waiv ▶ Join the AI Product Build Lab, August 28: https://graviastudio.com/build/?code=... ▶ Instagram:   / joinwaiv