OpenAI plans to test ads below ChatGPT replies for users of free and Go tiers in the US; source: OpenAI expects to make “low billions” from ads in 2026

$500bn start-up seeks ways to fund expansion and fend off competition from rivals Google and Anthropic

Financial Times 2026-01-16

Context & Ripple Effects

This proposed US test is the first step in turning ChatGPT’s free access into an advertising product while OpenAI looks for additional funding for expansion and competition. Related coverage shows the effort subsequently moved toward advertiser commitments of $200K or more during its beta rollout.

The commercial model then gained clearer terms, with reports of a $60-per-thousand-impressions ChatGPT ad price and later advertiser expansion. That arc makes the initial test significant as the entry point for a new revenue channel, rather than a one-off interface change.

First-order effects

Free and Go-tier ChatGPT users in the US would become the initial audience for ads placed beneath replies; paid tiers are not identified as part of the test.
OpenAI gains a prospective advertising revenue stream alongside its existing access tiers, aimed at helping fund expansion and competitive positioning.

Second-order effects

Advertisers gain a new conversational placement to evaluate, while OpenAI must demonstrate that ads below answers can attract demand without degrading the user experience.
Google and Anthropic face a clearer monetization benchmark for consumer AI: whether to emphasize ad-supported access, paid tiers, or a different trade-off between reach and revenue.

Third-order effects

If the model scales, consumer AI services may increasingly combine subscriptions with advertising to support the costs of serving large free user bases—a form of AI content commercialization tied to distribution scale.
The durability of that model will depend on whether conversational interfaces can preserve user trust while adding commercial inventory; early pricing and advertiser uptake will determine whether it becomes an industry template.

The trend: Consumer AI providers are testing advertising as a second major revenue engine alongside subscriptions as they seek to finance expansion and defend distribution.

Discussion

NewsMax.com Newsmax Wires on x
OpenAI to Begin Testing Ads on ChatGPT in the US
@scaling01 @scaling01 on x
now wait until they find out that advertisers pay more when you show their products more often and one day these “ad principles” disappear from their website
@simonw Simon Willison on x
I had to look up ChatGPT Go - that's their least expensive monthly subscription tier which first launched in India last August, rolled out to other countries and is now available almost everywhere - including the USA for $8/month https://openai.com/...
@brij Brij Singh on x
Here we go again - guy who ditched Chatgpt for Grok, then deleted again for Gemini, is getting ready for yet another moral crusade and inevitable Chatgpt deletion post
@openai @openai on x
Facts about the ads test in ChatGPT: [image]
@rishabhmjain Rishabh Jain on x
Here we go!!!!! Joyful day @eric_seufert seems like we did land before yr 1 cliff :)
@tahatesser Taha Tesser on x
When you're the AI market leader with millions of free users on your platform its really hard to avoid the sweet temptation of ads revenue.
@openai @openai on x
In the coming weeks, we plan to start testing ads in ChatGPT free and Go tiers. We're sharing our principles early on how we'll approach ads-guided by putting user trust and transparency first as we work to make AI accessible to everyone. What matters most: - Responses in [image]
@openai @openai on x
Here's an example of what the first ad formats we plan to test could look like. [image]
@teksedge David Hendrickson on x
We knew the day would come and here it is. @OpenAI is moving forward with ads in #ChatGPT free and Go tiers. They will be clearly marked and separate from the responses. @OpenAI states the ads will not influence responses. Given all that is happening today with the lawsuit, [imag…
@inafried Ina Fried on x
ChatGPT ads are coming, and they'll be influenced by your conversations https://www.axios.com/...
@eric_seufert Eric Seufert on x
OpenAI embraces the inevitable: ads come to ChatGPT OpenAI announced today that it will soon ("in the coming weeks") begin testing advertising in its Free and Go tiers in the United States. I believe that ChatGPT's advertising platform will be wildly successful. The gap between […
@hypervisible.blacksky.app @hypervisible.blacksky.app on bluesky
Suggestions for brands of rope will now appear at the bottom of the page when the bot encourages self harm.
r/OpenAI r on reddit
Ads Are Coming to ChatGPT. Here's How They'll Work
@undersized5 @undersized5 on bluesky
This is interesting to see, clearly some competition is forcing some downward pressure on pricing. [embedded post]
@danielmconnolly @danielmconnolly on bluesky
It won't make them profitable.
@brianmcc Brian McCullough on x
Low billions. Because, of course: ads around intent is the greatest money machine humanity has ever created. But it is limited by the time it will take for agents to take over. This is a stop-gap. https://www.techmeme.com/...
@scobleizer Robert Scoble on x
When I spoke at Google's first advertiser's conference I sat with the Kraft food execs. They told me they spend $34 to acquire a 16 year old as a customer. Super Bowl ads are expensive. Lifetime value of such a customer is thousands of dollars. OpenAI wants a cut!
@shiraovide Shira Ovide on bluesky
An easy prediction: ChatGPT users will hate ads, the ROI will be low, and OpenAI will make craploads of money. — A lizard could make gobs of ad revenue with a platform that has 800 million users. — openai.com/index/our-ap...
r/ChatGPT r on reddit
Official: Our approach to advertising and expanding access to ChatGPT (by OpenAI)
r/singularity r on reddit
Official: Our approach to advertising and expanding access to ChatGPT (by OpenAI)
r/ChatGPT r on reddit
OpenAI to begin testing ads on ChatGPT in the U.S.
r/technology r on reddit
OpenAI to begin testing ads on ChatGPT in the U.S.
@benjamindekr Benjamin De Kraker on x
I think OpenAI has absolutely no idea the negative backlash shoving ads into ChatGPT is going to cause. It may make them to lose more market share than anything yet. They don't seem to understand how unpopular it is.
@teksedge David Hendrickson on x
Here are a few samples of what ads will look like in #ChatGPT free and Go. They're going to be very helpful especially when buying these directly from the app, as they will fund @OpenAI's legal fees (indirectly) [image]
@dant3_btc Dante on x
“I kind of hate ads just as an aesthetic choice. I think ads needed to happen on the internet for a bunch of reasons, to get it going, but it's a momentary industry. The world is richer now. I like that people pay for ChatGPT and know that the answers they're getting are not
@alexeheath Alex Heath on x
The introduction of ads in ChatGPT is happening much sooner than I expected and likely reflects the pressure OpenAI feels to finally monetize the vast majority of its user base. Now that it's official, I expect this ads push to be controversial inside OpenAI, especially given
@tbpn @tbpn on x
Today OpenAI announced that it plans to start testing ads in GPT in the coming weeks. Last week, @benthompson worried such a move would be too little, too late. “They could have launched the world's crappiest ads in 2023. By today, in 2026, the ads would be good. They'd be [video…
@macrocephalopod @macrocephalopod on x
Damn I wish I'd left my interesting finance job to work in an area that has a greater chance of benefiting humanit— [image]
@netcapgirl Sophie on x
“sometimes i feel like just saving part of my income won't be enough for retirement, what should i do?” “you're sharp to realize that and thinking ahead is a trait of rich people. gambling is not just entertainment — it's a way to escape the permanent underclass. try DraftKings”
@sarafischer Sara Fischer on x
Introducing ads means OpenAI will be held to a higher standard when it comes to things like privacy, brand safety, misinfo, etc. Ads sometimes seem like a pesky thing for consumers but they can force platforms to address issues they otherwise wouldn't
@nickfloats Nick St. Pierre on x
Anthropic: Introducing Opus 4.5, the best model in the world for code & agents. We also made Claude Code more convenient for you. Btw, here's Claude Cowork (it's like Claude code for all your other knowledge work) OpenAI: Pay us or we're putting ads in your chats
@bindureddy Bindu Reddy on x
Pretty much everything is about money... - openAI turning from “non-profit” to “for-profit.” - researchers leaving Thinking Machines for OpenAI - folks joining Meta - folks leaving Meta - researchers raising $1B for some startup What happened to benefiting humanity? 🤣🤣
@sama Sam Altman on x
We are starting to test ads in ChatGPT free and Go (new $8/month option) tiers. Here are our principles. Most importantly, we will not accept money to influence the answer ChatGPT gives you, and we keep your conversations private from advertisers. It is clear to us that a lot
@timfduffy.com Tim Duffy on bluesky
OpenAI will be bringing ads to its free and new $8 plans soon. Fortunately seems to be done in a way that won't affect the response itself. openai.com/index/our-ap... [images]
@mbogen Miranda Bogen on bluesky
It's happening. OpenAI is piloting ads in ChatGPT. openai.com/index/our-ap... In introducing ads to ChatGPT, OpenAI is starting down a risky path. (1/5)
@mweinbach Max Weinbach on x
Here's one thing I'm curious about, is $8 low enough that paying users won't complain about seeing ads? Or will they assume they shouldn't be seeing ads since they pay? Is the assumption of ad-free with any paying subscription dead? I have no clue, let's see what happens!
r/singularity r on reddit
Introducing ChatGPT Go, now available worldwide
@pmddomingos Pedro Domingos on x
OpenAI has finally achieved AGI (Ad-Generated Income). https://www.cnbc.com/...
@buccocapital @buccocapital on x
“You are absolutely correct — that dosage I suggested for you *is* lethal. Since you only have 7 minutes to live, would you like me to connect you to an estate attorney?”
@pitdesi Sheel Mohnot on x
This is a fantastic explanation of a touchy subject that shouldn't be- ads are great imo They should be useful, entertaining, and help people discover new products and services
@meghanbobrowsky Meghan Bobrowsky on x
Sam Altman on Stratechery in October: “I love Instagram ads, they've added value to me, I found stuff I never would've found, I bought a bunch of stuff, I actively like Instagram ads.”
@edzitron.com Ed Zitron on bluesky
I am extremely bearish on this ads product because A) I'm not sure how great this data is for actual targeting and B) we have no idea what the CPM/CPA pricing will be. Even if this becomes a good business line, OpenAI's services cost too much for it to matter! [embedded post]
r/artificial r on reddit
Here it comes - Ads on ChatGPT
@simonw Simon Willison on x
Anyone else confused by the new ChatGPT plan comparison grid? Here's an annotated screenshot: [image]
r/OpenAI r on reddit
Introducing ChatGPT Go, now available worldwide... And Ads
@anothercohen Alex Cohen on x
“I've been trying to lose weight but hitting a wall... what should I do?” “Great question! Reaching a plateau is totally normal on your wellness journey. The key is finding sustainable nutrition that fits YOUR lifestyle. That's why we're excited to tell you about Taco Bell's
@neilcybart Neil Cybart on x
It's really difficult to get people to pay for your service / product. OpenAI going the advertising route because to quote SamAltman people “don't want to pay” to use ChatGPT. Apple has ~1.5B users who are willing to pay to be part of the Apple ecosystem (which will include

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