OpenAI begins testing ads in ChatGPT for free and Go users, says ads will fund …

After weeks of criticism and public jabs from rival Anthropic, OpenAI has started testing ads in ChatGPT. Sharing a blog post, the company said it has started testing ads in the AI tool in the United States and will apply only to logged-in adult users on the Free and Go plans.

“We’re starting to roll out a test for ads in ChatGPT today to a subset of free and Go users in the U.S,” OpenAI said in an X post adding “Ads do not influence ChatGPT’s answers. Ads are labeled as sponsored and visually separate from the response. Our goal is to give everyone access to ChatGPT for free with fewer limits, while protecting the trust they place in it for important and personal tasks.”

Why ads in ChatGPT

OpenAI said ads are meant to help fund the infrastructure needed to keep the Free and Go tiers running and to support broader access to AI tools.

The company said it will study feedback closely before expanding the program.“Keeping the Free and Go tiers fast and reliable requires significant infrastructure and ongoing investment. Ads help fund that work, supporting broader access to AI through higher quality free and low cost options, and enabling us to keep improving the intelligence and capabilities we offer over time,” the company stated in the blog post.

OpenAI added that while advertising may grow over time, ChatGPT’s answers will remain independent, and user privacy will remain a core priority.

Ads in ChatGPT: Who will see and who can skip

As announced by the company, ads will appear only for adult users on the Free and Go tiers. Paid tiers such as Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education will remain ad-free. Free users can also opt out of ads, but this will reduce the number of daily free messages they can send.OpenAI said ads will not affect how ChatGPT answers questions and that user conversations will stay private. The company described the move as a limited test aimed at learning from real-world use before any wider rollout.Users will be able to dismiss ads, give feedback, view ad history, delete ad data and manage personalization settings. OpenAI said these controls are meant to give users clear choices over their experience.

How ads work in ChatGPT

OpenAI said ads will be clearly labeled as sponsored and shown separately from ChatGPT’s answers. The company stressed that ads do not influence responses. Ads are selected by matching advertiser submissions with the topic of a user’s conversation, along with past chats and past ad interactions. “During the test, we decide which ad to show by matching ads submitted by advertisers with the topic of your conversation, your past chats, and past interactions with ads.

For example, if you're researching recipes, you may see ads for meal kits or grocery delivery. If there are multiple advertisers, we'll select the one that is most relevant to your chat to show you first,” OpenAI said in the blog post.

Ads in ChatGPT: Privacy and safety rules

OpenAI said advertisers do not have access to your chats, chat history, memories, or personal details. Advertisers will only receive aggregate information about how their ads perform such as number of views or clicks, the company stressed.Further, it will not show ads in accounts where the user is under 18 and “ads are not eligible to appear near sensitive or regulated topics like health, mental health or politics.”