Feature
Key Takeaways
- OpenAI announces plans to test ads in ChatGPT's free and Go tiers.
- The company claims user data will not be sold and ads will not affect answers.
- Free and budget users may see ads, while enterprise customers remain ad-free.
OpenAI is betting it can monetize 700 million ChatGPT users without eroding the trust that made them loyal.
The company announced on Jan. 16, 2026, that it will begin testing advertisements in ChatGPT's free and Go subscription tiers for US users in the coming weeks. According to OpenAI, ads will appear at the bottom of responses when a relevant sponsored product or service matches the user's current conversation. Pro, Business and Enterprise subscriptions will remain ad-free.
OpenAI also expanded ChatGPT Go — its $8/month tier launched in 171 countries since August — to the US and all markets where ChatGPT is available.
The company claims advertisements will not influence ChatGPT's responses and that user data will not be sold to advertisers. Users can turn off personalization and clear ad-related data at any time. Ads will not appear for users under 18 or near sensitive topics such as health, mental health or politics.
Table of Contents
- OpenAI’s Principles for Ad-Supported AI
- The Long Build to Monetization
- Trust Is the Real Risk in AI Advertising
- OpenAI at a Glance
OpenAI’s Principles for Ad-Supported AI
OpenAI outlined five principles guiding its approach to advertising. These reflect broader enterprise concerns around personalization and user control.
| Principle | Description |
|---|---|
| Answer independence | Ads will not influence ChatGPT responses |
| Conversation privacy | User conversations remain private; data not sold |
| Choice and control | Users can disable personalization and clear ad data |
| Ad-free options | Paid tiers (Pro, Business, Enterprise) exclude ads |
| Sensitive topic exclusions | No ads near health, mental health or political content |
Related Article: How Do People Use ChatGPT? What 700M Weekly Users Reveal
The Long Build to Monetization
OpenAI executed a sweeping series of acquisitions, infrastructure partnerships and product launches throughout 2024 and 2025 to expand its AI capabilities and market reach.
The company acquired experimentation platform Statsig for $1.1 billion in September 2025, bringing founder Vijaye Raji on board as CTO of Applications. In December that same year, OpenAI acquired Neptune for under $400 million to enhance model governance and training capabilities.
On the product front, the company launched GPT-5 in August 2025 for all ChatGPT users and in December 2025 launched an app store inside the chat interface, allowing users to browse third-party apps directly within conversations.
OpenAI also assembled compute infrastructure through two major partnerships: In September 2025, Nvidia agreed to invest up to $100 billion and become its key AI chip supplier, and two months later, OpenAI signed a $38 billion cloud contract with Amazon Web Services, diversifying beyond Microsoft.
Scale Demands Revenue
OpenAI’s ad move is less an exception than a preview of what’s coming for generative AI platforms as they seek to secure sustainable revenue models.
The company spends $7 billion annually on AI training models, with staffing adding another $1.5 billion. Advertising offers a path to subsidize user access while offsetting steep computational costs.
Trust Is the Real Risk in AI Advertising
Privacy concerns have significantly influenced ad adoption in conversational AI. Research shows that when users suspect content is AI-generated, trust drops and satisfaction declines.
Key compliance hurdles include:
- GDPR regulatory frameworks and emerging AI legislation
- FTC guidelines on algorithmic bias
- Requirements for transparent disclosure practices
- User opt-out mechanisms
- Restrictions on sensitive targeting categories
ChatGPT has earned its following by acting as a seemingly neutral assistant. With the addition of ads, users may question whether responses reflect their needs or sponsorship agreements. Without clear labeling of sponsored content, even subtle placements could create perceptions of bias.
Related Article: OpenAI, The ‘Bailout' and the Likely Path Forward
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OpenAI at a Glance
OpenAI primarily serves enterprise technology leaders and developers with AI solutions. The company was founded in 2015 in San Francisco, with its most notable products including ChatGPT, GPT-4 and DALL-E.
