OpenAI Introduces Ads in ChatGPT for Free Users in U.S. Pilot

OpenAI has taken its first steps toward integrating advertisements into ChatGPT, launching a pilot program for free-tier users in the United States. This marks a significant shift in the monetization strategy for the world’s most widely used AI chatbot.

The company clarified that ads will only appear for users of free plans, while subscribers to paid tiers—including Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education—will remain ad-free. OpenAI emphasized that the move aims to make advanced features accessible to a broader audience.

Ads will be clearly separated from ChatGPT’s responses and labeled as sponsored content. OpenAI confirmed that conversations will remain private, and advertisers will only receive aggregated performance data such as impressions and clicks—without access to personal chats.

The advertising system targets general topics of user interaction and prior ad engagement. Sensitive topics such as health, politics, or mental well-being are excluded from ad placement, and users under 18 will not see any ads. Users will also have control over their ad experience, including opting out of personalized ads, deleting interaction history, and providing feedback.

This pilot comes as AI companies face increasing pressure to generate revenue to sustain development and infrastructure costs amid rapid adoption of generative AI tools. While the move has sparked discussion regarding potential impacts on content neutrality and user experience, OpenAI maintains that ads will not influence ChatGPT’s responses.