January 2026 - Tulsa Marketing Online

OpenAI has announced that it will begin testing ads within ChatGPT soon, creating a potential new major advertising channel for brands.

The tests could begin as soon as in a few weeks, with clearly labeled ads appearing at the bottom of chatbot responses. Additionally, the ads are said to only appear when there is a specific sponsored product of service relevant to the chat.

Who Will See Ads In ChatGPT?

For now, OpenAI says it will be significantly limiting who is eligible to be shown ads in ChatGPT. The ads will only be shown to U.S. users over the age of 18 using the free tier or those signed up for ChatGPT Go. ChatGPT Go is OpenAI’s recently introduced lowest-cost subscription option.

Users under the age of 18 and those subscribed to ChatGPT Pro, Business, or Enterprise plans will be excluded from the upcoming ads test.

Ads Will Not Influence ChatGPT Responses

OpenAI heavily emphasized that any potential ads will be limited to clearly marked placements that are separate from ChatGPT responses. Any advertising partnerships or placements will not influence AI answers and user conversations will not be made available to advertisers.

Additionally, ads will not be shown during conversations about sensitive or regulated topics such as health, mental health, or politics.

OpenAI Advertising Principles

In the announcement, OpenAI laid out 5 specific advertising principles it means to follow as it begins testing ads.

Mission alignment: Our mission is to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity; our pursuit of advertising is always in support of that mission and making AI more accessible.
Answer independence: Ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you. Answers are optimized based on what’s most helpful to you. Ads are always separate and clearly labeled.
Conversation privacy: We keep your conversations with ChatGPT private from advertisers, and we never sell your data to advertisers.
Choice and control: You control how your data is used. You can turn off personalization, and you can clear the data used for ads at any time. We’ll always offer a way to not see ads in ChatGPT, including a paid tier that’s ad-free.
Long-term value: We do not optimize for time spent in ChatGPT. We prioritize user trust and user experience over revenue.

Why This Is Notable

The announcement from OpenAI came as a slight surprise, given that CEO Sam Altman had previously expressed hesitation. Specifically, Altman had publicly worried that ads would strain the public’s trust in ChatGPT to deliver accurate information.

However, as recently as November, Altman had begun suggesting that ads in ChatGPT were likely “at some point.”

As AI assistant usage becomes more widespread, this could become a valuable new ad platform for brands looking to connect with a new audience.

We expect to learn more as testing begins, but for now you can read OpenAI’s full announcement for more details.

Google recently announced a major change to its ad platform that opens up some of its most powerful advertising tools for smaller businesses. The company has lowered its minimum audience size requirement to just 100 active users across all networks, including Search, Display, and YouTube.

By decreasing the audience size from the previous minimum of 1,000 users, Google has opened the door to brands with smaller audience sizes to use remarketing and customer list targeting.

New Minimum Limits

Now brands can use audience segments with as few as 100 users across all networks. This new limit is set across all networks and applies to both remarketing lists and customer lists, making it easier for small brands to reach more accurate audiences with their ads.

The 100-user threshold also applies to Audience Insights, allowing brands with small audiences to better understand their performance and audience. Previously, Audience Insights could not provide reliable data for audiences with less than 1,000 people.

Opening The Door For Smaller Advertisers

This change removes a significant barrier for smaller brands and niche advertisers. While these advertisers could use Google’s Ad platform already, they were previously locked out of many of the most effective tools and advertising methods.

Now, smaller brands can power remarketing campaigns and personalize their ads using first-party data and in-depth insights that were not previously available to them.

This accessibility gives businesses the ability to fine-tune their targeting, reach users who have already expressed interest, and drive better conversion rates without relying on extensive data. By delivering personalized ads to defined audience segments, brands can boost engagement and see stronger returns on their ad spend.

Limitations Due To Smaller Audiences

While Google is allowing advertisers with smaller audiences to access these tools, they caution that smaller audience sizes can still impact performance. For example, smaller audience lists may lead to less accurate insights, slower delivery, or limited reach.

It is crucial for advertisers to closely watch their ad performance to ensure their ads are performing properly and reaching the correct audience.

Additionally, Google notes that advertisers using smaller audience segments must take care to ensure their data collection and usage does not run afoul of today’s modern privacy regulations including GDPR and CCPA.

For more about this change and how audience segments function, explore the Google Ads Help page on the topic here.

Ads Are Coming To ChatGPT