OpenAI announces ads in ChatGPT, CEO Sam Altman praises Instagram: ‘It is clear to us that…’

OpenAI has announced that it will begin testing ads in ChatGPT in the coming weeks, marking a shift in the startup’s business model as it seeks to monetise its massive free user base and cover the soaring AI infrastructure costs.

CEO Sam Altman said that the ads will be introduced specifically for users on the Free tier and the newly launched ChatGPT Go plan, an $8-per-month subscription that debuted in the US. Notably, high-tier subscribers on Plus ($20/mo), Pro ($200/mo), and Enterprise plans will remain ad-free.“We are starting to test ads in ChatGPT free and Go (new $8/month option) tiers,” Altman wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding that the company “will not accept money to influence the answer ChatGPT gives you, and we keep your conversations private from advertisers.”“It is clear to us that a lot of people want to use a lot of AI and don't want to pay, so we are are hopeful a business model like this can work,” Altman added.

Ads in ChatGPT: CEO Sam Altman’s ‘Instagram’ inspiration

Altman, who has historically expressed a distaste for traditional internet advertising, even targeting Google, signaled a change in perspective. He drew parallel to Meta’s photo-sharing app, saying, “An example of ads I like are on Instagram, where I've found stuff I like that I otherwise never would have.

We will try to make ads ever more useful to users.”OpenAI says it has established several “guardrails” for the initial testing phase, to maintain user trust. Ads will appear at the bottom of a response, clearly labeled as "Sponsored" and visually separated from the AI’s organic answer; They will be triggered by the current conversation and advertisers cannot pay to influence the actual text of the chatbot’s response.To ensure safety, OpenAI is implementing strict content exclusions. Ads will not be shown to users under the age of 18, and the system will block ads from appearing near "sensitive or regulated" topics, including politics, health and mental health.“We’ll learn from feedback and refine how ads show up over time, but our commitment to putting users first and maintaining trust won’t change,” OpenAI said in a statement on Friday.Altman previously disliked the idea about ads in ChatGPT. In a podcast with Lex Freidman in 2024, said he “kind of hate ads just as an aesthetic choice.”