OpenAI has begun testing advertising in ChatGPT in the United States, marking a new step in how the company funds access to its AI services while seeking to preserve user trust and privacy.
The test applies to logged-in adult users on the Free and Go subscription tiers, while paid plans including Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education will remain ad-free, the company said. OpenAI stressed that advertising will not influence responses generated by ChatGPT and that user conversations will not be shared with advertisers.
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“Our goal is for ads to support broader access to more powerful ChatGPT features while maintaining the trust people place in ChatGPT for important and personal tasks,” the company said, adding that it is starting with a limited test “to learn, listen, and make sure we get the experience right.”
According to OpenAI, ads will be clearly labeled as sponsored and shown separately from ChatGPT’s answers. During the test, ads will be selected based on the topic of a conversation and prior interactions, though advertisers will only receive aggregate performance data such as views or clicks, not access to chats or personal details.
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The company said ads will not be shown to users under 18 and will be excluded from sensitive or regulated topics such as health, mental health and politics. Users will be able to manage ad preferences, dismiss ads, provide feedback and delete ad data, as OpenAI said privacy and safety safeguards would remain central as the program evolves.
Source: OpenAI