Ads coming to Chat GPT from The run down

OPENAI

📢 OpenAI officially bringing ads to ChatGPT

Image source: OpenAI

The Rundown: OpenAI just announced it will begin testing targeted advertisements in ChatGPT for free and Go tier users in the U.S. — putting into motion a major (and controversial) monetization shift for the AI giant as it eyes a late-2026 IPO.

The details:

Ads will appear below responses as "Sponsored Recommendations," targeted based on conversations but excluded from health, politics, and underage users.
The move coincides with the company’s $8/month ChatGPT Go tier launching globally, with ads included to offset the lower price point.
Premium tiers (Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise) remain ad-free, with OAI pledging to never sell user data or let ads influence ChatGPT's answers.
Sam Altman had said in 2024 that ads in ChatGPT would be a “last resort”, but more recently said he “wasn’t totally against it” if it didn’t violate user trust.

Why it matters: We’ve heard conflicting statements from OAI’s leadership in the past on ads, but the March hiring of Instacart’s Fidji Simo hinted at both the IPO and advertising route. Ads in AI assistants are a slippery slope, so the execution will be a nuanced moment to watch — potentially setting the tone for the industry as a whole.

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