OpenAI Launches Visual Ads Alongside ChatGPT Image Generation

OpenAI is adding visual display ads alongside ChatGPT image-generation results, expanding its advertising business beyond the formats it introduced earlier this year.

The new format will begin testing later this month in the United States with an initial group of advertisers. The ads will appear alongside image-generation results rather than inside the generated images themselves, and OpenAI says they will be clearly labelled and kept separate from ChatGPT’s answers.

Where users will see the new ads

The initial rollout is limited to the U.S. and applies to eligible users on ChatGPT plans that support advertising. Users generating images may see a visual ad placed next to the result, giving advertisers a more image-focused way to present products or services.

OpenAI introduced advertising in ChatGPT earlier this year to support its free and lower-cost subscription tiers. The company says advertising does not influence ChatGPT’s responses.

What the change means for ChatGPT users

For users, the main difference is that some image-generation sessions may now include a clearly separated commercial placement alongside the requested image. The generated content itself is not supposed to contain the advertiser’s message, and paying users on plans without ads will not be affected by the format.

The rollout also brings ChatGPT closer to familiar ad-supported digital services, where free or lower-cost access is partly financed through advertising. How prominent the new placements become will depend on how OpenAI expands the test beyond its initial U.S. rollout.

OpenAI is building out its advertising platform

Alongside the visual format, OpenAI is expanding its measurement ecosystem with partners covering click attribution, full-funnel analysis and geo-based advertising experiments.

The company is also developing brand-suitability evaluation pilots with DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science, giving advertisers more information about the environments in which their campaigns may appear.

Together, the changes show OpenAI building a broader advertising business around ChatGPT while trying to keep paid placements clearly separated from the assistant’s responses and generated content.