OpenAI plans to start testing advertisements in ChatGPT for select users in the United States, a move aimed at boosting revenue to cover the high costs of running and developing its AI systems.

The ads will appear for users on the free tier and the Go plan, OpenAI’s lower-priced subscription now being expanded globally. Ads will appear at the bottom of ChatGPT responses but will remain separate from the chatbot’s generated answers.

“We plan to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service based on your current conversation,” OpenAI said in a statement.

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Who Will See Ads and How They Work

• Free and Go users in the U.S. will see ads.
• Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise users will not be shown ads.
• Ads won’t influence ChatGPT responses and user conversations will not be shared with marketers.
• Users under 18 will be excluded from seeing ads.
• Ads will also be blocked for sensitive topics, such as health and politics.

This marks a significant shift for OpenAI, which has historically relied on subscription revenue. The company faces growing pressure to generate revenue as it spends heavily on AI infrastructure and data centers and prepares for a widely anticipated initial public offering (IPO).

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Revenue Potential and Risks

ChatGPT has around 800 million weekly active users, and analysts say ads could unlock a substantial revenue stream.

“If ads feel clumsy or opportunistic, users can easily switch to rival chatbots such as Google’s Gemini or Anthropic’s Claude,” said Jeremy Goldman, Emarketer analyst.

However, the introduction of ads could also push competitors to clarify their monetization strategies, particularly those that market themselves as “ad-free by design.”

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ChatGPT Go: Expanding Globally

The ChatGPT Go plan, first launched in India, will be available in the U.S. for $8 per month. OpenAI has emphasized that the rollout will be gradual, with careful monitoring to ensure ads do not disrupt the user experience.

Advertisers are optimistic that AI-driven recommendation systems will enhance ad performance across search and social media, making ChatGPT a potentially lucrative platform for targeted campaigns.