By Raffaele F Ciriello
Publication Date: 2026-01-23 06:10:00
OpenAI has announced plans to launch advertising on ChatGPT in the United States. Ads appear in the free version and the low-cost Go version, but not for Pro, Business, or Enterprise subscribers.
The company says that ads are clearly separated from chatbot responses and have no impact on results. The company has also committed to not selling user conversations, allowing users to opt out of personalized ads, and avoiding ads to users under 18 or on sensitive topics such as health and politics.
Still, the move has raised concerns among some users. The key question is whether OpenAI’s voluntary protections will hold up once advertising becomes a central part of its business.
Why ads in AI were always likely
We’ve seen this before. Fifteen years ago, social media platforms struggled to convert large audiences into profit.
The breakthrough came with targeted advertising: ads that are tailored to what users are looking for, what they click on, and what they pay attention to. This model became the dominant source of income for
