OpenAI has announced that it will be rolling out advertisements in ChatGPT, beginning with a test in the coming weeks.
According to the company’s X post on Friday, the test will begin in the U.S., targeting free users and subscribers on the low-cost Go plan, while Pro, Business, and Enterprise users will continue to enjoy an ad-free experience.
The move marks a major shift in how the AI platform generates revenue.
According to the company, the ads will be tested with users on the company’s free tier and the lower-priced Go plan that it is now expanding globally.
In a post on X, the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, said the ads won’t affect ChatGPT’s answers and user data while noting that the model aims to let more people use AI for free while keeping ads useful.
“Here are our principles. Most importantly, we will not accept money to influence the answer ChatGPT gives you, and we keep your conversations private from advertisers.
“It is clear to us that a lot of people want to use a lot of AI and don’t want to pay, so we are are hopeful a business model like this can work.
“(An example of ads I like is on Instagram, where I’ve found stuff I like that I otherwise never would have. We will try to make ads ever more useful to users.),”He stated.
In a blog post, OpenAI said the ads will be clearly labeled and separate from the chatbot’s responses. Users will have the option to see why an ad is shown, dismiss it, or provide feedback.
The company also noted that ads will not appear for users under 18 and will be excluded from sensitive topics such as health, mental health, or politics.
Revenue rationale
The ad rollout comes as OpenAI seeks to meet ambitious spending commitments. In 2025, the company signed over $1.4 trillion in infrastructure deals, and
According to reports, CEO Sam Altman said last November that the startup was on track to generate $20 billion in annualized revenue run rate last year.
Digital advertising isn’t just a side business for big techs. For Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, advertising remains a central part of its business model. Nairametrics reports that scam and high‑risk ads alone generated about $7 billion in annual revenue in 2024.
On the other hand, Google continues to demonstrate the power of digital advertising as a core revenue driver. In its Q4 2024 earnings, Google reported ad revenue growth of 10.6%, reaching $72.46 billion. This performance was driven in part by YouTube, which generated a record $10.47 billion, a 14% increase year-over-year, while search ads brought in $54 billion, up 12%.
This shows how critical advertising remains for tech giants, providing a model that OpenAI followed to expand access and generate revenue.
