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OpenAI said Friday that it would start rolling out ads in ChatGPT to some U.S. users, as the company aims to generate more revenue ahead of a highly anticipated initial public offering.
The company said it plans to start testing ads in the coming weeks in the U.S. for users on its free and lower-priced Go tiers, while its Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise subscriptions will not include ads.
“We plan to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service based on your current conversation,” OpenAI said in a statement.
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The company said ads will be “clearly labeled” and separated from ChatGPT’s answers, adding that users will be able to learn why they are seeing specific ads and dismiss them.
Ads will not be shown in accounts where the user is under the age of 18, and they cannot appear near sensitive or regulated topics like health, mental health or politics, the company stated.
OpenAI said its ads will not influence the answers ChatGPT gives users, and conversations will be kept private from advertisers.
“We never sell your data to advertisers,” the company said, adding that users can turn off its personalization feature. “We’ll always offer a way to avoid ads in ChatGPT, including a paid tier that’s ad-free.”
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OpenAI has relied largely on subscriptions for revenue but could generate significant ad income from ChatGPT’s estimated 800 million weekly active users. The company plans to spend more than $1 trillion on artificial intelligence infrastructure by 2030 but has not said how it will cover the costs, according to Reuters.
Users could opt to switch to rival chatbots, Emarketer analyst Jeremy Goldman told Reuters, adding that OpenAI’s move could motivate competitors “to clarify their own monetization philosophies, especially those positioning themselves as ‘ad-free by design.'”
OpenAI said in its statement that it’ll learn from feedback and refine its ads over time, ensuring its “commitment to putting users first and maintaining trust won’t change.”
“Our long-term focus remains on building products that millions of people and businesses find valuable enough to pay for,” the company said. “Our enterprise and subscription businesses are already strong, and we believe in having a diverse revenue model where ads can play a part in making intelligence more accessible to everyone.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
