OpenAI, the company behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT, has announced that it will be introducing advertisements to the platform. The trial run will initially take place in the United States, affecting both free users and those who subscribe to the new ChatGPT Go tier, which will cost $8 per month.
According to the announcement, relevant ads will appear after a user’s prompt, such as a request for travel recommendations in Mexico resulting in the display of holiday advertisements. OpenAI has assured users that the ads will not influence ChatGPT’s responses, and the company will not share data about conversations with advertisers.
The move is seen as a strategic decision by OpenAI to generate additional revenue and make its tools more accessible to a wider audience. Henry Ajder, an expert in AI and synthetic media, explains that OpenAI is a company that has experienced significant user growth in recent years but continues to burn through investor money, as it is not a profit-making entity. “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 which is reliable,” Ajder said.
However, the decision to introduce ads has also sparked some controversy and speculation. The Financial Times reported that in the first six months of 2025, OpenAI operated at a loss of around $8 billion (£5.98 billion), and only 5% of ChatGPT’s 800 million users are paid subscribers. This has led some analysts to suggest that the AI sector may have been overvalued by eager investors and hype, and has yet to demonstrate substantial profitability.
The introduction of ads on ChatGPT is not the only move by AI firms to explore new revenue streams. In 2025, AI company Perplexity appointed a “head of advertising and shopping,” though the individual left the company nine months later. Google has also been rumored to have approached advertisers about bringing ads to its Gemini AI tool in 2026, though the tech giant has denied these reports.
As the AI industry continues to evolve, the decision by OpenAI to introduce advertisements on ChatGPT highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing user experience with the need to generate sustainable revenue. While the move may provide more people with access to the AI tool, it also raises questions about the long-term viability and direction of the AI sector as a whole.