Highlights
- OpenAI has started testing ads in ChatGPT for Free and Go users in the US.
- Ads are clearly labelled, separated from chatbot responses, and won’t appear in sensitive topics or for users under 18.
- OpenAI emphasises privacy safeguards and expects ads to contribute less than half of future revenue.
OpenAI has begun testing advertisements in ChatGPT. As per the latest reports, users on the Free and Go plans in the US are now starting to see sponsored content within the chatbot. The move follows the company’s earlier announcement confirming plans to introduce ads on ChatGPT. Here’s everything we know about this development so far.
Ads in ChatGPT
According to OpenAI, the ads will showcase sponsored products and services that are relevant to a user’s ongoing conversation. Users will also have the option to turn off ad personalisation and “clear the data used for ads” at any time.
“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,” OpenAI said in a blog post. “We’re starting with a test to learn, listen and make sure we get the experience right.”
The advertisements are displayed at the bottom of chat conversations and are clearly labelled and visually separated from ChatGPT’s responses. OpenAI has emphasised that ads will not influence or alter the chatbot’s answers.
OpenAI Addresses Privacy Concerns
To address privacy concerns, the company stated that ads will not be shown during conversations related to regulated or sensitive topics including health, mental well-being, or politics.
In addition, users under the age of 18 will not see ads as part of the testing phase. OpenAI also reiterated that it does not share or sell user conversations or personal data with advertisers.
The company wrote, “Ads are designed to respect your privacy. Advertisers do not have access to your chats, chat history, memories, or personal details. Advertisers only receive aggregate information about how their ads perform such as number of views or clicks. During our test, we will not show ads in accounts where the user tells us or we predict that they are under 18, and ads are not eligible to appear near sensitive or regulated topics like health, mental health or politics. We’ll expand responsibly as safeguards mature and we learn from this test.”
Meanwhile, a source familiar with the matter told CNBC that OpenAI expects advertising to make up less than half of its total revenue in the long term. At present, the company also earns revenue by taking a commission on products purchased through ChatGPT’s shopping integration feature.
CNBC further reported that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman informed employees last week that the company plans to roll out “an updated Chat model” later this week.
FAQs
Q1. Who is currently seeing ads in ChatGPT?
Answer. OpenAI has begun testing ads for users on the Free and Go plans in the US. These ads appear at the bottom of chat conversations.
Q2. Will ads affect ChatGPT’s responses or show up in sensitive topics?
Answer. Ads are clearly labelled, separate from chatbot answers, and will not appear in conversations about health, mental wellbeing, or politics.
Q3. How does OpenAI handle privacy with ads?
Answer. Ads are end-to-end privacy-protected. Advertisers don’t access chats or personal data; they only receive aggregate performance metrics like views or clicks.