OpenAI will soon introduce personalised advertisements into ChatGPT, using conversation data to suggest relevant products for users.
The trials target free and “Go” tier accounts for adult U.S. users, sparing premium “Plus,” “Pro,” and business plans. Sponsored content appears at the bottom of responses, clearly labelled without affecting the AI’s answers.
This move addresses OpenAI’s £1.4 trillion AI infrastructure pledge over eight years amid 800 million monthly users and projected £16 billion revenue for 2025. Features like “Instant Checkout” for Walmart and Etsy purchases, plus health and learning tools, aim to boost daily use and upgrades. Ads promise sharp targeting, such as hotel suggestions after travel queries.
Safeguards include no data sales, opt-outs for personalisation, and exclusions for under-18s or topics like health and politics.
“Given what AI can do, we’re excited to develop new experiences over time that people find more helpful and relevant than any other ads,” OpenAI stated.
“Soon you might see an ad and be able to directly ask the questions you need to make a purchase decision.” Users “need to trust that ChatGPT’s responses are driven by what’s objectively useful.”
CEO Sam Altman once deemed ads “uniquely unsettling” but noted OpenAI might consider them with care. Privacy concerns persist over intimate chats, especially after lawsuits alleging harmful advice. Meta has similarly begun ad targeting via its AI chatbot.