OpenAI has started testing advertisements in its ChatGPT chatbot for users on free and low-cost plans in the United States. Paid subscribers remain unaffected, while the company emphasizes privacy protections and user controls. This move aims to fund broader access to AI features amid industry competition.
OpenAI announced the rollout of ads in ChatGPT as part of an experiment to support its infrastructure and development costs. The testing targets users on the free tier and the new ChatGPT Go plan in the US, while those subscribed to Plus, Pro, Business, or Enterprise plans will continue to experience an ad-free interface.
Ads appear at the bottom of chats, clearly labeled as sponsored and visually separated from the chatbot's responses. According to OpenAI, these advertisements match the topic of the user's conversation but include safeguards to avoid sensitive areas such as health, mental wellbeing, or politics. Users under 18 will not see ads during the tests.
The company stresses that ads will not influence ChatGPT's answers or compromise user privacy. Conversations and personal data are not shared with advertisers, and users can disable personalization or opt out entirely, though opting out may limit free messages. 'Our goal is for ads to support broader access to more powerful ChatGPT features while maintaining the trust people place in ChatGPT for important and personal tasks,' OpenAI stated in a blog post. This initial phase focuses on gathering feedback to refine the experience.
The introduction comes amid competitive pressures in the AI sector. A source close to OpenAI told CNBC that ads are expected to account for less than half of long-term revenue, with the company also earning from shopping integrations. Meanwhile, rival Anthropic highlighted its ad-free stance in Super Bowl commercials, poking fun at the trend—one ad depicted an AI trainer promoting fictional insoles during a fitness query. OpenAI's approach may shape how other platforms balance monetization and user trust.
