OpenAI has announced that it will begin testing advertisements inside ChatGPT, starting with some free users in the United States. This is a major change for the popular AI chatbot, which has largely been ad-free since its launch.
The company said ads will appear only for users on the free plan and the lower-cost ChatGPT Go plan, but not for paid plans like Plus, Pro, Business, or Enterprise. The ads will be clearly labeled, and OpenAI promises they won’t affect the chatbot’s answers or share personal conversation data with advertisers.
This new step comes after a shift in OpenAI’s thinking. In the past, CEO Sam Altman had called the idea of ads in ChatGPT “unsettling” and said advertising was a last resort because it could hurt user trust.
OpenAI says its decision is driven by the high cost of running and improving advanced AI systems, which require huge computing resources. The company hopes ad revenue will help support its work while keeping basic access available to more people.
OpenAI also highlighted that the ads will be separate from actual chat responses and will only appear when relevant. The company says keeping user trust and privacy is still a top priority even as it tests this new model.
Despite the promise that ads won’t influence answers, this change has sparked debate in tech communities. Some people worry that introducing ads — even in a limited way, could affect the way users view and trust AI tools.
In short: OpenAI is starting to test ads in ChatGPT to help fund its costly AI development, marking a shift from earlier warnings from its own leadership about how advertising could affect user trust. Paid users on higher plans will remain ad-free, and the company says your ChatGPT answers won’t be shaped by the ads you see.