OpenAI Plans to Show Ads in ChatGPT for Free Users

OpenAI has announced plans to begin testing advertisements within ChatGPT as part of a broader strategy to generate additional revenue and support the rapidly rising costs of artificial intelligence development. The initial rollout will be limited to a select group of users in the United States and is expected to begin in the coming weeks. According to the company, advertisements will be displayed exclusively to users on the Free tier and the lower-priced Go plan, which OpenAI is currently expanding to more regions worldwide. These ads will appear separately from ChatGPT’s AI-generated responses and will be positioned at the bottom of answers to ensure transparency.

Users subscribed to Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans will continue to receive a fully ad-free experience. OpenAI has emphasized that advertisements will not influence the content or quality of ChatGPT’s responses in any way. The company also reaffirmed its commitment to user privacy, confirming that conversations will not be shared with advertisers.

To maintain platform safety and user trust, OpenAI stated that advertisements will not be shown to users under the age of 18 and will be restricted from appearing alongside sensitive topics, including health-related and political discussions. The move marks a significant shift in OpenAI’s business model, which has so far relied primarily on subscription-based revenue.

As OpenAI continues to invest heavily in data centers and large-scale AI infrastructure, the company has revealed plans to spend more than $1 trillion on artificial intelligence development by 2030, although specific funding details have not yet been disclosed. Advertising is expected to play a key role in supporting these investments as OpenAI prepares for a widely anticipated public offering.

Industry analysts believe the introduction of ads could unlock substantial revenue from ChatGPT’s estimated 800 million weekly active users. However, experts caution that poorly integrated advertising could negatively affect user experience and push users toward competing AI platforms such as Google’s Gemini or Anthropic’s Claude. At the same time, OpenAI’s decision may encourage rival AI companies to clearly define their own monetization strategies, particularly those positioning themselves as ad-free alternatives.

The ChatGPT Go plan, which was initially launched in India, is now set to debut in the United States at a price of $8 per month. While offering a more affordable subscription option, the Go plan will include advertisements as part of OpenAI’s evolving monetization strategy.