OpenAI said on Friday it will begin testing advertisements in ChatGPT for some users in the United States, marking a significant shift in how the company generates revenue from its popular AI chatbot.
The ads will be shown to users on ChatGPT’s free tier and the lower-priced Go plan, which OpenAI is expanding globally. Users on Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans will remain ad-free.
According to the company, the ads will appear separately from ChatGPT’s responses and will not influence the chatbot’s outputs. OpenAI also said user conversations will not be shared with advertisers.
“We plan to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service based on your current conversation,” the company said in a statement.
The move underscores mounting pressure on OpenAI to boost revenue as it spends heavily on AI infrastructure and prepares for a widely anticipated initial public offering. The startup has said it plans to invest more than $1 trillion in AI infrastructure by 2030.
Analysts say advertising could unlock a major revenue stream from ChatGPT’s estimated 800 million weekly active users, but warn the move could alienate users if ads are perceived as intrusive.
OpenAI said it will not show ads to users under 18 and will block advertising linked to sensitive topics such as health and politics. The ChatGPT Go plan, initially launched in India, will be available in the U.S. for $8 per month.
