OpenAI Begins Testing Ads on ChatGPT, Promises Answers Will Stay Independent
OpenAI starts testing ads in ChatGPT while assuring users that privacy, trust, and unbiased answers will remain fully protected.
OpenAI has confirmed that it is beginning to test advertisements on ChatGPT for users in the United States, marking a major shift in how the popular AI platform plans to sustain its growing global user base. The company is introducing ads alongside the launch of its Go tier subscription in the US, with advertising initially appearing for both free and Go-tier users.
The San Francisco-based AI firm emphasized that advertisements will not interfere with the integrity of ChatGPT’s responses. According to OpenAI, ads will be “clearly labelled and shown separately from ChatGPT responses,” ensuring users can easily distinguish between commercial content and AI-generated answers.
In a blog post, the company acknowledged the deep trust users place in the chatbot, which is often used for personal, professional, and educational purposes. “People trust ChatGPT for many important and personal tasks, so as we introduce ads, it’s crucial we preserve what makes ChatGPT valuable in the first place,” OpenAI said.
OpenAI also made it clear that advertising will not shape the information users receive. The company stated that ads will not influence ChatGPT’s answers and that responses will continue to be optimized for what is most helpful to users, not what benefits advertisers.
Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman reinforced this commitment in a post on X, outlining the principles guiding this new advertising model. “Here are our principles. Most importantly, we will not accept money to influence the answer ChatGPT gives you, and we keep your conversations private from advertisers. It is clear to us that a lot of people want to use a lot of AI and don't want to pay, so we are hopeful a business model like this can work.”
Altman also shared that he personally appreciates discovery-style advertising, similar to what he experiences on Instagram, where users come across products they might not have otherwise noticed. He added that OpenAI aims to make ads genuinely useful rather than disruptive.
Privacy remains a central theme in OpenAI’s ad strategy. The company said it will keep ChatGPT “private from advertisers” and will “never sell your data to advertisers.” Users will have control over how their data is used, including the ability to turn off ad personalization and clear data connected to advertising at any time. Those who prefer an ad-free experience will need to subscribe to a paid ChatGPT plan.
OpenAI also stressed that it does not optimize ad delivery based on how long users spend on the platform, distancing itself from engagement-driven advertising models common on social media.
During the testing phase, additional safeguards will apply. “Ads will be clearly labelled and separated from the organic answer. You’ll be able to learn more about why you’re seeing that ad, or dismiss any ad and tell us why. During our test, we will not show ads in accounts where the user tells us or we predict that they are under 18, and ads are not eligible to appear near sensitive or regulated topics like health, mental health or politics,” the company said.
For now, the ad rollout is limited. OpenAI has confirmed that it is not launching ads globally yet and will begin with a controlled test among logged-in users in the US in the coming weeks.
