OpenAI Begins Testing Ads in ChatGPT Free and Go Tiers

Ad Rollout Scope

OpenAI announced on February 9 that it is beginning to test ads in ChatGPT Free and Go subscription tiers in the U.S. for logged-in adult users. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education tiers will not display ads.

Privacy and Design Principles

Ads do not influence ChatGPT's answers, and OpenAI keeps user conversations private from advertisers. Ads are always clearly labeled as sponsored and visually separated from organic responses.

Ad matching is based on conversation topics, past chat history, and previous ad interactions. For example, if you're researching recipes, you may see ads for meal kits or grocery delivery services.

Sensitive Topic Protection

Users discussing sensitive or regulated topics, including health, mental health, and politics, will not see ads.

User Control

Users can dismiss ads, share feedback, learn how and why they're being shown a particular ad, delete their ad data with one tap, and manage ad personalization at any time.

Industry Reaction

The announcement sparked controversy in the AI industry. Anthropic publicly committed to keeping Claude ad-free and ran an ad criticizing OpenAI, which OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called 'dishonest.' Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis also stated there are no plans for Gemini to include ads.

Source: OpenAI