After weeks of user frustration over what appeared to be ads intruding into conversations, OpenAI has finally made its position clear. In a blog post published on Friday, the company confirmed that it plans to begin testing ads on its ChatGPT platform for US users in the free and Go versions, but promised that paid versions like Pro, Business, and Enterprise will remain ad-free.
“As ChatGPT becomes more capable and widely used, we’re looking at ways to continue offering more intelligence to everyone,” the company wrote, framing ads as a way to expand access without forcing users to pay.
The company also stressed a hard line between answers and advertising, saying users need to trust that ChatGPT’s responses are “driven by what’s objectively useful, never by advertising,” and that conversations will not be shared or sold to advertisers.
This reassurance comes after a difficult few months. In December, ChatGPT users flooded social media with screenshots of chatbot responses suggesting apps, stores, or products completely unrelated to their tasks.
OpenAI countered by saying that these were just ill-timed “suggestions,” but the difference didn’t show. Even users paying $200 a month for ChatGPT Pro said the experience was strange.
But behind the scenes, the ads were clearly being planned. Reports earlier this month revealed that OpenAI had been quietly testing advertising concepts internally, experimenting with layouts and information disclosures designed to create what employees described as “a new kind of digital ad” that wouldn’t immediately turn off users.
CEO Sam Altman hasn’t been very subtle about his support for the idea. In June, he said he wasn’t “totally against” ads on ChatGPT, even calling Instagram ads “pretty cool,” a quote that has aged as well as he hoped. At the time, Altman emphasized that getting the ads right would require extra attention. Now, that theoretical future is becoming a reality.
OpenAI says the ads will be clearly labeled, displayed separately from replies, and will initially only appear when a “relevant sponsored product or service” is associated with the conversation. Users will be able to opt out of ads or turn off personalization entirely, and ads will not appear on accounts under 18 or related to sensitive topics like health or politics.
Whether that’s enough to make ChatGPT just another channel remains to be seen. But with operating costs reportedly running into the billions, and AI companies racing to prove sustainable business models, the era of ad-free chatbots was probably always going to be temporary.
Credits:
Image:
