OpenAI has begun showing ads to some users of the free version of ChatGPT, adding a new revenue stream. The decision came after a previous proposal and after projections showed it could go bankrupt over the next two years.
According to a blog post from the AI company, the test began this week in the United States and applies to users on the no-cost tier and the lower-priced “Go” plan, which carries a monthly fee of $8. OpenAI is seemingly adding ads as a commercial placement to its subscription revenue, but has promised that customers on higher-tier plans, including Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education, will not see ads while using ChatGPT.
OpenAI begin ad trials inside the free ChatGPT version
In its blog, the company said, “Our goal is for ads to support broader access to more powerful ChatGPT features while maintaining the trust people place in ChatGPT for important and personal tasks. We’re starting with a test to learn, listen, and make sure we get the experience right.” The company first revealed its advertising proposal in January, when it announced plans to pilot advertising to expand its revenue sources.
The ad test now underway is the first visible launch of that strategy, although OpenAI said the presence of advertising will not alter how ChatGPT answers prompts. “Ads do not influence ChatGPT’s answers. Ads are labeled as sponsored and visually separate from the response,” OpenAI said. The LLM developer also added that advertising material would be clearly distinguished from chatbot output and would not be mixed into conversational replies.
In addition, advertisers would receive only aggregated performance data, such as impressions and clicks, but would not be able to access individual user conversations. OpenAI reiterated it would limit harmful or misleading promotions as it opens the platform to advertisers by “building protections to reduce the risk of scams and other harmful or misleading ads.”
The company also added that it would not display ads to users under 18 years old, which it would determine through prediction systems or user-provided information. Meanwhile, the tech company had a social altercation with rival AI developer Anthropic, which aired a commercial that appeared to criticize the use of ads in AI chat services during Super Bowl Saturday.
OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman responded to Anthropic, saying the spot was “clearly dishonest.” Anthropic later adjusted the advertisement’s wording to double down on its dispute over Ads in chatbots, saying: “There is a time and place for ads. Your conversations with AI should not be one of them.” According to OpenAI’s report, the company’s annualized revenue run rate surpassed $20 billion in 2025.
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