ChatGPT Ads: What We Know So Far

ChatGPT’s top brass previously refuted the idea of ads on the AI platform. Now, OpenAI has announced it will start testing ads on some free and paid subscription levels. Here’s what we know so far, and what it could mean for digital marketers.

ChatGPT was the first generative AI tool to reach mass adoption, “giving millions of people around the world a taste of what large language models are capable of,” according to data journalist Felix Richter.

As this platform and others like it continue to iterate, evolve, and expand their user bases, competition increases. 

Despite OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously saying that he’s resistant to ads on ChatGPT, he more recently admitted that AI may in fact be in a “bubble,” and that the company will need trillions of dollars to scale properly. 

One way to raise that money: through the introduction of ads.

To learn more about what may be coming down the pike in terms of AI and digital marketing, we spoke with HawkSEM co-founder and CEO Sam Yadegar.

Read on to see what he has to say about this new development, what it could mean for marketers, and how we can do our best to be prepared for what comes next.

OpenAI has stated that ads will appear at the bottom of AI-generated responses to queries. (Image: Screenshot)

What will ChatGPT advertising look like?

“The internal projections [have shown] potential billion-dollar revenue from ‘free user monetization’,” says Yadegar.

He adds that serving ads on ChatGPT could certainly change how people interact with the platform. Considering the costs of running these AI models, Yadegar isn’t surprised that some form of monetization is being introduced.

OpenAI has stated that ads will appear at the bottom of AI-generated responses to queries. They will be clearly labeled and only show when a brand’s “sponsored product or service is relevant to the conversation,” according to Search Engine Land.

Who will see ChatGPT ads?

At this time, reports say not everyone will be shown ads. According to Marketing Dive, ads will appear for logged-in users on:

• ChatGPT’s free level
• ChatGPT Go, an $8-per-month option that has been available in some markets and is now rolling out to the U.S. and other areas

They add that “ChatGPT’s Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise subscription levels will not carry ads.”

How to prepare for AI platform ads

As this new advertising opportunity continues to develop, one of the main questions digital marketers have centers around how to best approach this nascent option.

According to Yadegar, “We should all be thinking about conversational marketing rather than just keywords. How would your brand sound in a natural conversation?”

For starters, dig into what your advertising options are, what campaigns will look like, what the parameters are, and how you’ll be charged, once that info becomes available.

Note: OpenAI says topics including health, mental health, and politics will not be eligible for advertising. The platform also doesn’t plan to serve ads to those identifying as minors or whom the platform has identified as such through age-prediction capabilities.

Expert tips for AI advertising

One mistake we often see is that companies will simply repackage campaigns for different platforms, rather than approaching each one individually.

But a strong Google Ads campaign won’t necessarily have the same success on a social media platform like Facebook Ads. The same goes for AI.

“Don’t assume your current strategies will just transfer over [to AI platforms],” Yadegar cautions. The strategies you currently use for PPC or social campaigns might not apply here at all. “We’re all figuring this out as we go.”

He suggests avoiding being too pushy or obviously promotional, similar to our advice for Reddit Ads. After all, people expect helpful responses from AI, not sales pitches.

Feeling overwhelmed by all the information above? Understandable! But the truth is, when it comes to ChatGPT ads, there’s a lot we don’t know. 

Rest assured, we’ll be keeping a close eye on how OpenAI rolls out this initiative and what new information they release. 

LLMs are the AI systems put in place to generate prompt responses that have human-sounding text, so it appears less like you’re getting answers from a bot. (Image: Solen Feyissa/Unsplash)

Breaking down ChatGPT and learning language models (LLMs)

ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot developed by the team at OpenAI. The platform leverages generative artificial intelligence to respond to prompts and questions. It’s powered by OpenAI’s exclusive GPT roster of gen AI (generative artificial intelligence) models.

GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, which “is basically a description of what the AI models do and how they work,” according to Zapier.

So, where does the LLM come into play? Well, LLMs are the AI systems put in place to generate prompt responses that have human-sounding text. As a result, it appears less like you’re getting answers from a bot.

The ways people are using ChatGPT and other AI agents are virtually endless. It can do everything from meal planning and travel itinerary creation to image generation and everything in between. Many use it in the same way they use Google Search or another search engine.

The takeaway

“AI ads in general could be the most sophisticated and relevant form of ads we’ve seen in a while,” says Yadegar. “OpenAI’s bold vision for ChatGPT seems poised for a familiar business model: ads that drive value for users as well as advertisers.”

The AI community seems to value authenticity and valid responses, he adds. So, whatever digital advertising emerges will need to feel genuinely useful. It’s going to be interesting to watch how it all develops.

Want more help with your current (and future) digital marketing goals? We’re here to help.

This article has been updated and was originally published in July 2025.