OpenAI Begins Testing Ads in ChatGPT: What Free Users Need to Know
OpenAI has started testing advertisements within its popular ChatGPT platform. This marks a significant shift for the artificial intelligence service that currently boasts over 800 million weekly active users worldwide.
Initial Rollout and User Impact
The initial ad trials will launch first in the United States before expanding globally. According to OpenAI's announcement on January 16, ads will appear for logged-in users on the free tier and subscribers of the ChatGPT Go plan, which costs $8 per month.
Important to note: ChatGPT Go is already available in India, France, and other countries. This plan offers slightly higher limits on prompt and image generation compared to the free version.
However, ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Enterprise subscribers will not see any advertisements. OpenAI has explicitly stated that ads within ChatGPT will not affect the AI's responses or answer quality.
Revenue Strategy and Business Context
This advertising move comes as OpenAI faces pressure to demonstrate returns on billions of dollars in AI investments. The company reportedly generated around $4.3 billion in revenue during the first half of 2025, according to financial disclosures cited by The Information.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has previously expressed reservations about advertising models. "Ads plus AI is sort of uniquely unsettling to me. I kind of think of ads as a last resort for us for a business model," Altman said during a 2024 event at Harvard University.
Despite these concerns, the company is proceeding with ad testing as it seeks to diversify revenue streams beyond its current sources:
- Enterprise and B2B subscriptions: Licensing agreements with businesses for AI model access
- Developer API usage: Charges for access to advanced models like GPT-5.2
- Individual subscriptions: Multiple paid ChatGPT tiers including Go, Plus, Pro, and Business plans
- Strategic partnerships: Deals with companies like Apple for Siri integration
How Ads Will Appear and Function
Ads within ChatGPT will appear directly below the AI chatbot's answer in a separate, clearly labeled box. For example, if a user asks for dinner party dish suggestions, they might see an advertisement for relevant grocery items beneath the AI-generated response.
Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of Applications, emphasized the company's commitment to user trust in the announcement. "People trust ChatGPT for many important and personal tasks, so as we introduce ads, it's crucial we preserve what makes ChatGPT valuable in the first place," Simo wrote.
OpenAI is also exploring more interactive ad experiences. "Conversational interfaces create possibilities for people to go beyond static messages and links," Simo explained. "For example, soon you might see an ad and be able to directly ask the questions you need to make a purchase decision."
Privacy Protections and User Controls
OpenAI has established specific principles to govern its advertising approach:
- The company will not sell user data or expose conversations to advertisers
- Advertisers cannot access individual user information about age, location, or interests
- Users can turn off personalization and clear ad-related data at any time
- Ads will not appear in accounts of users under 18 years old
- Ads are not eligible to appear near sensitive topics like health, mental health, or politics
Advertisers will receive aggregate performance metrics, such as how many times an ad was shown and how many users clicked on it. However, questions remain about what data OpenAI will collect to serve relevant advertisements.
Competitive Landscape and Future Projections
The advertising push comes as OpenAI faces increasing competition from rivals like Google Gemini. The company has been playing catch-up since the rollout of Gemini 3, with reports suggesting OpenAI had temporarily paused advertising plans last year.
Altman has projected ambitious revenue targets, stating that OpenAI is on track to generate more than $20 billion in annualized revenue by 2026, with plans reaching $110 billion by 2030. The company expects around $2 billion in revenue from "new products" this year, including advertising, rising to over $10 billion by 2027.
These projections follow OpenAI's infrastructure investments, including more than $1.4 trillion in data center deals to meet growing demand. The advertising strategy represents a crucial component of OpenAI's plan to monetize its massive user base while funding these substantial infrastructure costs.
For businesses interested in advertising within ChatGPT, OpenAI plans to share more details in the coming weeks. The company's approach represents a careful balancing act between generating revenue and maintaining the user trust that has made ChatGPT one of the world's most widely used AI products.
