ChatGPT users are about to get hit with targeted ads

For months, a central question in the tech industry has been how — and when — OpenAI, now valued at roughly $500 billion, would turn its massive user base into sustained revenue. This week, the company provided a clear answer: advertising.

In a blog post published Friday, OpenAI announced that it will begin testing limited advertising within ChatGPT for users in the United States. The ads will appear to users on both the free tier and the Go plan, which costs $8 per month and was introduced globally on Friday. OpenAI said the move is intended to help maintain free access to ChatGPT while generating revenue from users who have not opted for higher-priced subscriptions. Users on paid tiers such as Pro, Plus, Business, and Enterprise will not see ads.

According to OpenAI, ads will appear at the bottom of a user’s conversation and be contextually targeted to the topic being discussed. Users will have several controls, including the ability to dismiss ads, view explanations for why specific ads are being shown, and turn off ad personalisation to prevent targeted ads. The company also said it will not serve ads to users it believes are under 18.

OpenAI said the introduction of ads will not affect the chatbot’s responses. The company emphasised that ChatGPT will maintain what it calls “answer independence,” meaning advertising will not influence the answers generated by the system. OpenAI also stated that it will not sell user data to advertisers.

The strategy could provide OpenAI with two revenue streams. Advertising may generate income from free and low-cost users, while some users who prefer an ad-free experience may choose to upgrade to higher-tier subscriptions.

In its announcement, OpenAI framed the advertising rollout as aligned with its broader mission, saying its approach to ads is intended to support its goal of ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits humanity as a whole.