ChatGPT will soon carry ads for the first time, but OpenAI insists the sponsored messages won’t sway the answers the chatbot delivers.
At a Glance
- OpenAI will start testing ads in the free and $8-per-month “Go” tiers of ChatGPT within weeks.
- Ads appear only at the bottom of answers when a sponsored product matches the conversation.
- Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans stay ad-free.
- Why it matters: Users will see labeled promotions inside the world’s most-used AI chatbot, raising questions about data use and answer integrity.
The rollout, announced Friday, targets logged-in adults in the United States. Ads will be “clearly labeled” and kept out of sensitive areas such as health, mental health, or politics, the company said.
Where Ads Will – and Won’t – Appear
OpenAI listed four subscription tiers that will never show advertisements:
- Plus
- Pro
- Business
- Enterprise
Free users and Go subscribers will see promotions only when the system detects a relevant sponsored product or service. The ad slot sits at the bottom of the answer, separate from the core response.
Data Promises
The company made three key pledges:
- Advertisers cannot access conversation logs.
- OpenAI will “never sell your data to advertisers.”
- Users can disable personalization and clear advertising data at any time.
“Ads are always separate and clearly labeled,” OpenAI repeated in its statement.
Go Tier Goes Global
Alongside the ad news, OpenAI said its low-cost ChatGPT Go plan is now available in every market where ChatGPT operates. U.S. subscribers pay $8 per month. The tier first launched in India last August.
Leadership Shake-Up
The ad announcement landed on the same day OpenAI’s board ousted Chief Executive Sam Altman. A board review concluded Altman was “not consistently candid in his communications,” prompting his immediate departure.
Key Takeaways
- Ads enter ChatGPT for millions of free and Go users within weeks.
- Sensitive topics remain off-limits for advertisers.
- Premium tiers keep the experience ad-free.
- OpenAI vows zero advertiser access to chats or personal data.
