OpenAI is preparing to test advertising on ChatGPT in the United States, a shift that comes as the company looks to balance wider access to its AI tools with rising operating costs.
The company said the ads will not appear immediately. Instead, testing is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Advertising will be limited to logged-in adult users on ChatGPT’s free tier and the ChatGPT Go plan, which costs $8 a month. OpenAI said its higher-priced subscriptions — Pro, Business and Enterprise — will remain free of ads.
ChatGPT Go was recently introduced in the US after being rolled out in more than 170 countries since August.
Ads Limited to Free and Go Users, Paid Plans Stay Ad-Free
Ads will be shown at the bottom of responses and only when they are relevant to the user’s current conversation. Sponsored content will be clearly marked and kept separate from regular answers. Users will be able to dismiss ads or check why a particular one appeared.
OpenAI said ads will not affect how ChatGPT responds to questions. The system’s answers are designed to focus on usefulness, not on promoting advertisers.
The company also said it is placing limits on where ads can appear. Users under 18 will not see ads, and advertising will be blocked around sensitive topics such as health, mental health and politics. OpenAI added that conversations will remain private and will not be shared with advertisers.
Trust, the company said, remains central to how ChatGPT is built, especially as people increasingly rely on it for personal and everyday tasks.
Users will have control over ad personalisation and will be able to turn it off or clear related data whenever they choose. OpenAI also said it will continue to offer ways to use ChatGPT without ads through paid plans.
According to the company, advertising is meant to support broader access to AI tools by helping reduce usage limits for free users. It added that it does not plan to design ChatGPT around keeping users online longer and will prioritise experience over ad revenue.
Over time, OpenAI said advertising formats may expand, including sponsored listings that allow users to ask questions before making purchase decisions.
Despite the move, OpenAI said subscriptions and enterprise products will remain the core of its business, with advertising playing a supporting role rather than a primary one.
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