OpenAI is reportedly preparing to expand advertising inside ChatGPT significantly. The AI giant plans to introduce ads to all users on its free and low-cost ‘Go’ plans in the United States, with a broader rollout expected to begin as early as next month, reports The Information. At the same time, the Sam Altman-led firm is also effectively opening its platform to a larger group of marketers.
To support its growing ad business, OpenAI has partnered with advertising technology firms like Criteo, which provide tools for targeting, campaign delivery, and performance measurement. Early indications suggest that brands are being encouraged to commit significant budgets – ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 per campaign – as part of initial ad buys. And advertisers are also being asked to provide multiple creative formats.
The decision to expand advertising becomes even more critical, as early feedback from advertisers suggests ChatGPT ads are not yet delivering clearly measurable results. According to the report, brands involved in initial campaigns have reported difficulties in proving effectiveness, largely due to limited performance metrics and the absence of well-established measurement standards. Since ads are shown selectively based on context rather than at a fixed scale, advertisers are receiving inconsistent data, making it harder to assess reach, engagement, and return on investment.
Notably, the latest advertising push builds on earlier testing in which OpenAI experimented with limited ad placements. But now, with the upcoming expansion, ads are expected to become a standard feature for free-tier users in the US. Importantly, the company is designing these ads to appear outside the core AI-generated responses – like below or along with answers – and clearly labeling them as sponsored content. This approach is intended to maintain a distinction between organic responses and paid promotions, addressing early concerns from advertisers about clarity and effectiveness, as well as from users about trust.
Earlier, the company had indicated that ads would be contextually relevant, meaning they may align with a user’s query and conversation topic. However, OpenAI has maintained that advertisements will not influence the content of ChatGPT’s answers and that user conversations will not be directly shared with advertisers. Users are also expected to have some level of control, including options to dismiss ads or understand why a particular ad is being shown. Importantly, not all users will be affected by the change. Higher-tier subscribers, including those on Plus, Pro, and enterprise-focused plans, will continue using ChatGPT without advertisements.
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