Key Highlights:

• OpenAI begins testing ads in ChatGPT for Free and Go tier users in the U.S.
• Paid plans including Plus, Pro, Enterprise, and Education remain ad-free.
• OpenAI says ads will not influence AI answers or share personal conversations.
• Users can dismiss, manage, or review ad personalization and interaction history.

OpenAI has started testing ads inside ChatGPT for users on the Free and Go subscription tiers in the United States. The move aims to support platform growth while keeping premium tiers ad-free.

The company says ads will appear separately from chatbot responses and will always be labeled as sponsored. Importantly, OpenAI states that advertising will not affect how ChatGPT generates answers.

The rollout also comes as AI companies search for sustainable revenue models to offset the rising cost of developing advanced AI systems.

Will ChatGPT Answers Be Influenced by Ads?

OpenAI says no. According to the company, ads will not shape responses or change recommendation logic. Conversations remain private, and advertisers will only receive aggregated performance metrics such as impressions and clicks.

The company also noted that ads will avoid sensitive categories such as health, politics, and mental health discussions. Additionally, users under 18 will not see ads.

How Will Ad Targeting Work?

During testing, ads may be matched to users based on conversation topics, past interactions, and prior ad engagement. For example, someone searching recipes may see grocery delivery or meal kit ads.

Users will have controls to manage personalization, dismiss ads, see why an ad appeared, and clear their ad interaction history. OpenAI says advertisers will not gain access to personal user data.

Industry Reaction and Competitive Pressure

The announcement follows competitive tension in the AI sector. Rival AI company Anthropic recently aired commercials mocking the idea of ads appearing inside AI conversations, highlighting concerns about poor integration.

Despite criticism, the introduction of ads reflects the broader industry shift toward diversified monetization strategies as AI infrastructure costs rise.

What This Means for ChatGPT Users

For now, the ad test remains limited to U.S. Free and Go users, while paid subscribers continue to see an ad-free experience. As OpenAI expands the experiment, the key question will be whether users accept advertising inside AI tools without losing trust in ChatGPT.