ChatGPT to carry adverts for some users
Adverts will be trialled in the US for free users and users of the new tier
BBC
Adverts will soon appear at the top of the AI tool ChatGPT for some users, the company OpenAI has announced.
The trial will initially take place in the US and will affect some ChatGPT users on the free service and a new subscription tier called ChatGPT Go.
This cheaper option will be available to all users worldwide and will cost $8 a month, or the equivalent in other currencies.
OpenAI says during the trial, relevant ads will appear after a prompt - for example, asking ChatGPT for places to visit in Mexico could result in holiday ads appearing.
In example screenshots shared by the firm, the ads look like banners.
OpenAI says it will not influence ChatGPT's responses, and the firm will not share data about conversations with advertisers.
It said it had decided to explore ads "so more people can benefit from our tools with fewer usage limits".
However, there is also growing speculation that the AI sector has been overvalued by eager investors and hype, and has yet to demonstrate much in the way of profit.
Some analysts predict this "bubble" is unsustainable and could soon burst.
Henry Ajder, an expert in AI, Deepfakes and synthetic media, said OpenAI's decision to explore ad revenue was not a surprise.
"OpenAI is a company that's seen a huge amount of growth in terms of users in the last few years but it continues to burn investor money - it is not a profit making entity," he said.
Subscription tier
"And so, for this company to start actually turning a profit, it has to find more revenue sources from somewhere other than just standard paying subscribers. And for many software businesses, advertising is a revenue source."
Adverts will be trialled in the US for free users and users of the new tier, ChatGPT Go.
The Financial Times reported that in 2025, OpenAI operated at a loss of around US$8bn (£5.98bn) in the first six months of the year, and that only 5% of ChatGPT's 800 million users are paid subscribers.
In addition to the new Go subscription tier, it already has Plus and Pro tiers that cost US$20 and US$200 per month, respectively, in the US.
ChatGPT Go was first introduced in India in 2025 before being expanded to other countries.
OpenAI was initially set up as a non-profit organisation, but has increasingly turned towards a more commercial operation.
The internet economy has been primarily funded by advertising for more than two decades.
OpenAI isn't the only AI firm considering this business model, despite its boss, Sam Altman, once saying he hated ads and describing them as "a last resort".
In 2025, AI firm Perplexity appointed Taz Patel in the role of "head of advertising and shopping", but he left the company nine months later.
Google denies reports that it approached advertisers to bring ads to its Gemini AI tool in 2026.
Adverts will soon appear at the top of the AI tool ChatGPT for some users, the company OpenAI has announced.
The trial will initially take place in the US and will affect some ChatGPT users on the free service and a new subscription tier called ChatGPT Go.
This cheaper option will be available to all users worldwide and will cost $8 a month, or the equivalent in other currencies.
OpenAI says during the trial, relevant ads will appear after a prompt - for example, asking ChatGPT for places to visit in Mexico could result in holiday ads appearing.
In example screenshots shared by the firm, the ads look like banners.
OpenAI says it will not influence ChatGPT's responses, and the firm will not share data about conversations with advertisers.
It said it had decided to explore ads "so more people can benefit from our tools with fewer usage limits".
However, there is also growing speculation that the AI sector has been overvalued by eager investors and hype, and has yet to demonstrate much in the way of profit.
Some analysts predict this "bubble" is unsustainable and could soon burst.
Henry Ajder, an expert in AI, Deepfakes and synthetic media, said OpenAI's decision to explore ad revenue was not a surprise.
"OpenAI is a company that's seen a huge amount of growth in terms of users in the last few years but it continues to burn investor money - it is not a profit making entity," he said.
Subscription tier
"And so, for this company to start actually turning a profit, it has to find more revenue sources from somewhere other than just standard paying subscribers. And for many software businesses, advertising is a revenue source."
Adverts will be trialled in the US for free users and users of the new tier, ChatGPT Go.
The Financial Times reported that in 2025, OpenAI operated at a loss of around US$8bn (£5.98bn) in the first six months of the year, and that only 5% of ChatGPT's 800 million users are paid subscribers.
In addition to the new Go subscription tier, it already has Plus and Pro tiers that cost US$20 and US$200 per month, respectively, in the US.
ChatGPT Go was first introduced in India in 2025 before being expanded to other countries.
OpenAI was initially set up as a non-profit organisation, but has increasingly turned towards a more commercial operation.
The internet economy has been primarily funded by advertising for more than two decades.
OpenAI isn't the only AI firm considering this business model, despite its boss, Sam Altman, once saying he hated ads and describing them as "a last resort".
In 2025, AI firm Perplexity appointed Taz Patel in the role of "head of advertising and shopping", but he left the company nine months later.
Google denies reports that it approached advertisers to bring ads to its Gemini AI tool in 2026.
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