OpenAI said on Friday it will begin serving ads in ChatGPT to adult US users logged in on both the free and ChatGPT Go tiers in the coming weeks, as the artificial intelligence (AI) company expands access to its low-cost membership globally.
“You need to know that your data and conversations are secure and will never be sold to advertisers,” OpenAI said. “And we need to set a high bar and give you control over your experience, so you can actually see relevant, high-quality ads – and turn off personalization if you want.”
The company introduced the ad as a way to ensure that the benefits of artificial general intelligence – a term used to describe a stage in machine learning when an AI system can reach or surpass human-level intelligence – can be made more accessible to the public. Furthermore, it could be a “game-changer” for small businesses and emerging brands trying to compete.
It also emphasized that ads do not influence chatbot responses, user data and conversations are kept private from advertisers, and users are in control of the ad experience. Advertisements will be clearly labeled and shown below user interactions.
OpenAI did not disclose what data it would collect from users to show relevant ads. Users will be able to learn more about why they are seeing specific ads, or dismiss them and submit feedback. Users on the more expensive Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise tiers will not see ads.
It says, “To start, we plan to test ads below replies in ChatGPTT when there is a relevant sponsored product or service based on your current conversation.” “During our testing, we will not serve ads to accounts where users tell us or we infer that they are under 18, and ads are not eligible to appear near sensitive or regulated topics such as health, mental health or politics.”
In a post on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that the company “will not accept money” to influence the responses ChatGPT gives to users. “It’s clear to us that a lot of people want to use a lot of AI and don’t want to pay, so we’re hopeful that this kind of business model can work,” Altman said.
The development marks a major departure for the company which until now relied primarily on subscriptions. At an event at Harvard University in May 2024, Altman described ads as “kind of the last resort for a business model for us”, adding that “advertising plus AI is uniquely troubling.”
Altman’s softer stance is indicative of how OpenAI views advertising as a way to unlock a new revenue stream to sustain the expensive effort. ChatGPT had 800 million weekly active users as of early October 2025.
