OpenAI has announced it will begin testing adverts within ChatGPT, marking a shift in how the company generates revenue as it expands its consumer offerings and scales its artificial intelligence services. The trial will initially run in the United States and will apply to some users on the free version of ChatGPT and a new paid tier called ChatGPT Go.
The company said adverts will appear at the top of the interface after a user submits a prompt. For example, a request for travel recommendations in Mexico could be followed by holiday-related adverts. Screenshots shared by OpenAI show the ads appearing as banner-style placements.
New ChatGPT Go Subscription
Alongside the ad trial, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Go, a lower-priced subscription tier that will cost $8 a month in the US, with equivalent pricing in other currencies. The Go tier will be available worldwide.
ChatGPT Go sits below the company’s existing paid plans. ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month in the US, while ChatGPT Pro is priced at $200 per month. ChatGPT Go was first launched in India in 2025 before being rolled out to other markets.
OpenAI said the decision to explore advertising and a cheaper subscription option was aimed at reducing usage limits for more users.
Ad Placement And Data Use
OpenAI said adverts shown during the trial will not influence ChatGPT’s responses to user queries. The company also said it will not share conversation data with advertisers.
The company described advertising as a way to allow broader access to its tools while supporting continued development.
Financial Pressures And Investor Scrutiny
The move comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the AI sector’s financial sustainability. Some analysts have questioned whether valuations driven by investor enthusiasm have outpaced profits.
Henry Ajder, an expert in AI, deepfakes, and synthetic media, said OpenAI’s move toward advertising was not unexpected. He said the company has seen rapid user growth but continues to operate at a loss.
OpenAI has not disclosed full-year financials, but the Financial Times reported that the company lost about $8bn in the first six months of 2025. The report also said only around 5% of ChatGPT’s roughly 800 million users are paid subscribers.
OpenAI was originally founded as a non-profit organisation and has increasingly shifted toward commercial operations as demand for its services has grown.
Ads And The Wider AI Industry
Advertising has underpinned much of the internet economy for more than two decades, and OpenAI is not the only AI company considering this approach.
Despite previously describing ads as a “last resort,” OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has acknowledged the need to find additional revenue streams beyond subscriptions.
In 2025, AI search company Perplexity appointed a head of advertising and shopping, though that executive left the firm nine months later.
Separately, Google has denied reports that it approached advertisers about introducing ads into its Gemini AI tool in 2026.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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