OpenAI starts testing ads in ChatGPT
Users of ChatGPT’s Free and Go plans in the US can now start seeing ads as OpenAI has started testing them in the chatbot. The company announced plans to introduce advertisements on ChatGPT. At the time, the company said it would display sponsored products and services that are relevant to logged in users’ current conversations, although they can opt out of personalization and “clear 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 have in ChatGPT for important and personal tasks,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post. “We start with a test to learn, listen and make sure we are having a good experience.”
These ads will appear below, at the bottom of the discussions. They are labeled and separated from ChatGPT responses. Ads will not impact ChatGPT responses.
Ads will not appear when users are chatting with ChatGPT about regulated or sensitive topics such as health, mental wellness, or politics. Users under the age of 18 will also not see ads in ChatGPT during testing. Additionally, OpenAI states that it will not share or sell user conversations or data to advertisers.
A source close to the company said CNBC that OpenAI expects ads to account for less than half of its revenue in the long term. Currently, the company also takes a cut of items purchased through its chatbot through the purchase integration feature. Also according to CNBCOpenAI CEO Sam Altman told staff Friday that the company would roll out “an updated chat model” this week.
The tests follow Super Bowl ads released by Anthropic that mocked OpenAI for introducing the ad. Anthropic’s spot claimed that even if “ads come to AI,” they won’t appear in its own chatbot, Claude.
