Highlights
- OpenAI has started testing ads in ChatGPT for US users on the Free and Go plans.
- The ads show up at the bottom of ChatGPT responses and are marked as sponsored.
- Paid plans like Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education do not have ads.
OpenAI is testing ads in ChatGPT for US users on the free and go plans. These ads appear below responses and are marked as sponsored. Paid plans do not show ads.
OpenAI is introducing ads in ChatGPT, adding sponsored content to the product for the first time.
The test is currently available for logged-in adult users in the US who use the free or Go subscription. Users with Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education subscriptions will not see ads.
OpenAI announced the launch in a short blog post, confirming that the principles shared in January now apply.
The blog post also adds education to the ad-free tiers, which were not part of OpenAI’s original plans.
How The Ads Work?
Ads show up at the bottom of ChatGPT responses. They are set apart from the answer and clearly labeled as sponsored.
OpenAI selects ads by matching advertising submissions to the topic of your conversation, your previous chats, and your earlier interactions with ads. For example, if you ask about recipes, you might see an ad for a meal kit or grocery delivery service.
Advertisers do not have access to users’ conversations or personal information. They only get summary data, such as the number of views and clicks.
Users can’t dismiss ads, find out why a specific ad appeared, turn off ad personalization, or clear all ad-related data. OpenAI said it will not show ads in conversations about health, mental health, or politics, and will not serve ads to accounts identified as under 18.
Free users who want to avoid ads have another option. OpenAI says you can opt out of ads in the free tier, but youwill receive fewer free messages each day. Go users can avoid ads by upgrading to Plus or Pro.
The Path to Today
OpenAI first shared its plans to test ads on January 16 when it also launched ChatGPT Go in the US for $8 per month. The company listed five principles:
- Mission Alignment
- Answer Independence
- Conversation Privacy
- Choice and Control
- Long-Term Value
In January, OpenAI explained that ads are meant to support access, not just to make money. Altman wrote on X at that time:
This explanation comes as OpenAI faces major financial commitments. In November, Altman said the company may spend about $1.4 trillion on infrastructure over eight years. He also said OpenAI expects to reach an annual revenue run rate above $20B by the end of 2025. According to CNBC, a source said OpenAI expects ads to make up less than half of its revenue in the long run.
OpenAI has set a $200,000 minimum commitment for early ChatGPT ads, according to AdWeek. Digiday reported that media buyers were quoted about $60 per 1,000 views for sponsored placements in the first US test.
Altman’s Evolving Position
This launch marks a clear shift from Altman’s earlier public comments on advertising.
At a Harvard fireside chat in October 2024, Altman said he hates ads and called mixing ads with AI “uniquely unsettling,” according to CNN. He compared ChatGPT’s user-focused model to Google’s ad-driven search, saying Google’s results relied on doing poorly for users.
By November 2025, Altman’s view had changed. He told an interviewer he was not totally opposed to ads, but said they would need to be handled carefully. He made a distinction between pay-to-rank ads, which he called catastrophic, and transaction fees, as well as contextual ads that do not change recommendations.
The current test uses the Altman model described in context. Ads appear below responses and do not influence ChatGPT’s recommendations. Whether this approach will last as ad revenue increases remains to be seen.
Where Competitors Stand
The timing of OpenAI’s move stands out compared to its two main competitors.
Last week, Anthropic ran a Super Bowl campaign with the tagline, “Ads are coming to AI, but not to Claude.” Other ads showed fictional chatbots interrupting personal conversations with sponsored messages.
Google has also kept a distance from chatbot ads. DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said at Devos in January that Google has no current plans for ads in Gemini, calling himself “a bit surprised that OpenAI moved so early.” Distinguished Assistants, In which trust is personal, and search where Google already shows ads. This was the second time in two months that Google leaders publicly denied plans for Gemini Ads. In December, Google Ads VP Dan Taylor disagreed with an AdWork report that said advertisers should expect Gemini Ads in 2026.
Now three companies are taking different approaches:
- OpenAI is testing large-scale conversational ads.
- Anthropic is promoting its decision not to run ads.
- Google is showing ads in AI overviews, but is not adding them to its standalone assistant.
Why does this matter?
OpenAI says ChatGPT is used by hundreds of millions of people. CNBC reported that Altman told employees that ChatGPT has about 800 million weekly users. That creates pressure to find revenue beyond subscriptions, and advertising is the proven model for monetizing free users across consumer tech.
For marketers, this launch creates a new way to advertise on AI platforms that targets users in the context of conversation rather than search keywords, providing a different signal of user intent. For example, someone asking ChatGPT for help planning a trip is likely further along in their decision-making than someone just typing a search query.
The restrictions are important to note since there are no ads near health, politics, or mental health topics. The available ad space is smaller than in traditional search, with reported CPMs of $60 and a $200,000 minimum. This is starting as a premium option for a select group of advertisers, not a self-serve marketplace.
Gazing Forward
OpenAI described today’s rollout as a test to learn, listen, and make sure we get the experience right. No timeline was given for expanding beyond the US. Separately, CNBC reported Altman told employees in a Slack message that ChatGPT is back to exceeding 10% monthly growth, and that an updated chat model is expected this week.
How users react to ads in their ChatGPT conversations will decide if this test expands or is stopped. It will also show whether Altman’s distinction between trust-damaging and acceptable contractual ads holds up in practice.
Source: OpenAI Begins Testing Ads In ChatGPT For Free And Go Users
