Ads Are Coming To ChatGPT

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.