OpenAI says it will soon begin testing advertisements on the free version of ChatGPT, a move that could fundamentally change how users interact with one of the world’s most widely used artificial intelligence tools.
The San Francisco-based company said on Friday that ads have not yet appeared on the platform, but trials will begin in the coming weeks. The change is aimed at monetising ChatGPT’s massive user base of more than 800 million people, most of whom do not pay for access.
Despite a valuation of about US$500 billion, OpenAI continues to lose more money than it earns as it expands its AI models and infrastructure. Running ChatGPT requires vast amounts of computing power, with the company facing more than US$1 trillion in long-term commitments linked to chips and data centres.
OpenAI says the ads will appear at the bottom of chatbot responses when there is a “relevant sponsored product or service” related to a user’s conversation. The company stressed that advertisements will be clearly labelled and visually separated from ChatGPT’s answers.
“Most importantly: ads will not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you,” said Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s chief executive for applications, in a social media post.
Still, the introduction of advertising raises concerns about how a tool many users rely on for advice, emotional support and decision-making could change over time.
Unlike search engines or social media feeds, chatbots operate in a more intimate, conversational space. Users often disclose personal thoughts, problems and uncertainties, creating a level of trust that critics say could be vulnerable to commercial pressure.
“People are using chatbots for all sorts of reasons, including as companions and advisors,” said Miranda Bogen, director of the AI Governance Lab at the Center for Democracy and Technology. “There’s a lot at stake when that tool tries to exploit users’ trust to hawk advertisers’ goods.”
OpenAI has said it will not use personal information or user prompts to collect data for advertising, but analysts question how sustainable that promise will be as financial pressure grows.
“Free services are never actually free,” said Paddy Harrington, an analyst at research firm Forrester. “These public AI platforms need to generate revenue, and that often leads to the user becoming the product.”
The move also places OpenAI more directly in competition with tech giants such as Google and Meta, which already dominate digital advertising and have integrated ads into some of their AI-powered services. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has expressed confidence that users will accept the change, arguing that many people want powerful AI tools without paying for them.
“It is clear to us that a lot of people want to use a lot of AI and don’t want to pay,” Altman said in a post on X, adding that he personally finds some ads useful on platforms like Instagram.
Founded in 2015 as a nonprofit with a mission to ensure AI benefits humanity, OpenAI last year restructured into a public benefit corporation. The company insists its advertising plans are consistent with that mission, but the shift highlights a growing tension between commercial survival and public trust.
As ChatGPT moves closer to becoming an ad-supported platform, users and regulators alike are likely to watch closely to see whether the line between helpful assistance and subtle persuasion can truly be kept intact.
