OpenAI Slammed for App Suggestions That Looked Like Ads

A surprising app suggestion from ChatGPT — recommending the Peloton app during an unrelated conversation — sparked backlash among OpenAI users, who worried that advertisements had quietly arrived on the platform, even for paying customers. OpenAI later clarified that the suggestion was not an ad but rather an early, poorly executed attempt to surface apps during conversations.

The controversy began after Yuchen Jin, co-founder of AI startup Hyperbolic, posted a screenshot on X showing ChatGPT recommending the Peloton app in a context unrelated to ditness. The post, viewed nearly 462,000 times, quickly spread as users pointed out that Jin was subscribed to the $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro Plan, where ads would be completely unexpected.

As the post gained traction — reshared and saved hundreds of times — users expressed frustration that paid customers were seeing app suggestions they did not ask for. One commenter noted they couldn't get ChatGPT to stop suggesting Spotify, even though they were an Apple Music subscriber.

ChatGPT has started posting ads on Pro accounts.

I hope this is just testing/a mistake, else it's an instant unsubscribe from me. On the flipside, the ad seems completely unrelated to the chat.@sama don't do it! https://t.co/DovCmTihen pic.twitter.com/PCnnhvzyC5 — Kol Tregaskes (@koltregaskes) December 1, 2025

OpenAI's data lead for ChatGPT, Daniel McAuley, eventually responded in the thread. He clarified that the Peloton recommendation was not an advertisement but simply "a suggestion to install Peloton's app," adding that there was "no financial component" involved. However, he acknowledged that the placement was irrelevant to the conversation and created a confusing user experience. McAuley said OpenAI was working to improve the quality and timing of app suggestions.

A company spokesperson also confirmed to TechCrunch that the behaviour users saw was part of OpenAI's ongoing tests to surface apps naturally within conversations. They pointed to OpenAI's October announcement about its new app platform, which stated that apps would "fit naturally" into chat interactions.

"You can discover [apps] when ChatGPT suggests one at the right time, or by calling them by name. Apps respond to natural language and include interactive interfaces you can use right in the chat," the October announcement explained.

But in this case, the suggestion didn't appear to fit naturally at all. The user said they were discussing a podcast featuring Elon Musk and xAI, not health or fitness, making Peloton's appearance out of place and distracting.

Even if the suggestion had been relevant, many users noted that recommending a paid, third-party app inside ChatGPT still feels like advertising. And because users cannot currently turn off app suggestions, the experience risks being perceived as intrusive.

This reaction raises questions about OpenAI's ambition to replace traditional app stores by offering integrated apps that run directly inside ChatGPT. If app suggestions feel like ads, users may consider switching to rival AI chatbots where such interruptions don't occur.

At the moment, ChatGPT apps are available only to logged-in users outside the EU, Switzerland, and the U.K., and the integrations remain in pilot testing. OpenAI has partnered with several major brands — including Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Zillow, and others — as part of this app platform experiment.