OpenAI has announced plans to begin testing advertising in ChatGPT, limited to adult users.
In a blog post published on January 16, the company said ads would be tested in the United States in the coming weeks for logged-in adult users on its free tier and its low-cost subscription, ChatGPT Go. Higher-priced plans, including Pro, Business and Enterprise subscriptions, will remain free of advertising.
According to OpenAI, the move comes as the company rolls out ChatGPT Go more widely. The USD 8 a month plan, which launched in 171 countries, is now being made available in the United States and other remaining markets. The company said the tier offers expanded access to features such as messaging, image generation, file uploads and memory, while ads are intended to reduce usage limits for free users and lower the barrier to entry for those unwilling or unable to pay.
OpenAI also mentioned that advertising would not influence the responses ChatGPT provides. According to the company, ads will be displayed separately from answers, clearly labelled, and shown only when there is a relevant sponsored product or service linked to the user’s current conversation. The initial tests are expected to place ads at the bottom of responses.
The company said user conversations would not be shared with advertisers and that personal data would not be sold. Users will be able to turn off ad personalisation and clear the data used for advertising at any time. OpenAI also said it would continue to offer paid options that do not include ads.
Advertising will not be shown to users who are under 18, either by self-reporting or prediction, and ads will not appear alongside content related to sensitive or regulated topics such as health, mental health or politics, the company said.
While OpenAI said its subscription and enterprise businesses remain strong, it described advertising as one element of a more diverse revenue model. The first ad formats are expected to be tested over the coming months, after which the company says it will assess how advertising can support broader access to ChatGPT without undermining trust.
