OpenAI has announced that it will soon start testing advertisements inside its ChatGPT platform — a major shift from the company’s long-standing focus on ad-free AI tools.
The tests will begin in the United States in the coming weeks and will affect users on the free tier and the new lower-cost “ChatGPT Go” subscription (about $8 per month). Paid subscribers on higher-end plans like Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise will not see ads.
Under the plan, ads will appear separately from ChatGPT’s responses, usually at the bottom of the chat window when there is a relevant sponsored product or service tied to what a user is discussing. OpenAI says these ads will be clearly labeled and kept distinct from the AI’s actual answers, which are designed to remain unbiased and helpful.
According to the company, ads will be clearly labeled and separated from the organic answer. You’ll be able to learn more about why you’re seeing that ad, or dismiss any ad and tell us why. During our test, we will not show ads in accounts where the user tells us or we predict that they are under 18, and ads are not eligible to appear near sensitive or regulated topics like health, mental health or politics, it said in its blog post.
OpenAI frames this move as a way to support broader access to ChatGPT and help cover the significant infrastructure and development costs associated with running large-scale AI services.
“By starting our ad platform from the ground up with these principles in place, we can align our incentives with what people want from ChatGPT. Our long-term focus remains on building products that millions of people and businesses find valuable enough to pay for. Our enterprise and subscription businesses are already strong, and we believe in having a diverse revenue model where ads can play a part in making intelligence more accessible to everyone,” the company said.
