OpenAI is to begin testing ads in ChatGPT in the United States, limiting the rollout to logged-in adult users on the Free and Go tiers. OpenAI said Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu accounts will not have ads during the test.
OpenAI described the test as a way to fund “broader access” to stronger ChatGPT features while preserving trust in a product people use for “important and personal tasks.”
Placement and separation: “below the end of a response”
According to the announcement, ads can appear below the end of a response, and will be clearly labeled as sponsored and visually separated from the organic answer.
In its Help Center FAQ, OpenAI also listed cases where ads do not appear during the test, including Temporary Chats, when a user is logged out, after generating an image, and in the ChatGPT Atlas browser.
How OpenAI says ads are selected and ranked
The firm explains that it starts with the topic of the current chat thread and matches it to relevant ads submitted by advertisers. If a user has personalized ads enabled, it may also use additional signals such as past chats and how a user has interacted with ads to make ads more relevant over time.
If multiple advertisers are eligible, it will select the advertiser that is most relevant to the chat to show first.
Answer independence and advertiser access limits
OpenAI claimed that ads do not influence ChatGPT’s answers and that “answers are optimized” based on what is most helpful to the user. In its Help Center FAQ, OpenAI said ads run on separate systems from its chat model and that advertisers have no ability to “shape, rank, or alter” ChatGPT’s responses.
OpenAI also claimed it does not share users’ conversations with advertisers and it “never” sells user data to advertisers. It said advertisers do not have access to chats, chat history, memories, or personal details, and receive only aggregated, non-identifying reporting such as views or clicks.
User controls: personalization, feedback, and an ads-free option with limits
Free and Go users in the US will have ad controls, including the ability to turn off ad personalization, dismiss ads and share feedback, see why an ad is being shown, and clear data used for ads.
OpenAI also described a way to avoid ads on the Free plan without upgrading: users can switch to an “Ads-Free” Free plan experience that removes ads but comes with lower usage limits and reduced feature access (including fewer messages and no access to some tools such as image generation).
Safety and eligibility: minors and sensitive topics excluded
Ads will not appear in accounts where a user indicates they are under 18 or where OpenAI predicts they are under 18.
OpenAI also said ads are not eligible to appear near “sensitive or regulated” topics, listing health, mental health, and politics, and said advertisers in sensitive or regulated verticals including dating, health, financial services, and politics are excluded at this time.
Agency participation: dentsu confirms it is an early test partner
Dentsu announced that it is participating in OpenAI’s Ad Pilot Program as an early test partner for ads in ChatGPT, and said several of its clients are participating across categories including CPG, grocery, hospitality, retail, software, and travel.
Adweek reported OpenAI confirmed a $200,000 minimum commitment for the early pilot.