OpenAI to test sponsored product images in ChatGPT in US this month
OpenAI is introducing visual ads to ChatGPT, featuring sponsored product images that will initially appear when users generate images. This marks an expansion of OpenAI's advertising strategy, which began in February with text-based sponsored links. The move represents OpenAI's efforts to monetise ChatGPT beyond its subscription tiers.
The visual ads will be tested in the US later in October, beginning with a select group of advertisers. Importantly, ads will not appear for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Enterprise subscribers, and OpenAI states that sponsored content will remain separate from generated images and will not influence ChatGPT's responses. The company has implemented safeguards to avoid displaying ads during emotionally sensitive conversations.
- OpenAI to test visual product ads in ChatGPT's image generator from October
- Ads won't appear for paid subscribers or in sensitive conversations
- Sponsored content separate from generated images, won't influence responses
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ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot made by OpenAI that helps users write text, answer questions and complete various tasks. OpenAI is now testing a new feature: sponsored product images that will appear within ChatGPT, representing an expansion of how the company makes money from the platform.
OpenAI began introducing advertising to ChatGPT in February 2025, initially with text-based sponsored links. Now the company is testing visual advertisements featuring actual product images from sponsors, marking its efforts to develop new revenue streams beyond paid subscriptions. This reflects a broader pattern across technology companies seeking to monetise their services through advertising.
The ads will not appear for users who pay for ChatGPT Plus, Pro or Enterprise plans. OpenAI also states that sponsored content will remain entirely separate from the answers ChatGPT generates, meaning advertisements will not influence what the AI recommends to users.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
OpenAI operates one of the most computationally expensive consumer applications ever built, and free users benefit substantially from its continued development and maintenance. Advertisements offer a pragmatic middle ground between free access and paid subscriptions, allowing economically constrained users to retain access whilst those who prefer an ad-free experience can upgrade to Plus, Pro, or Enterprise tiers. OpenAI has publicly committed to keeping sponsored content separate from generated responses and implementing safeguards to avoid sensitive moments, suggesting a measured approach to this monetisation strategy. Similar advertising models sustain many valuable digital services.
The case against
Introducing advertisements into an AI assistant's interface fundamentally risks eroding the trust users place in its neutrality and objectivity. Even with stated safeguards, the presence of sponsored product recommendations creates inherent conflicts of interest and could subtly influence which products or services receive implicit endorsement, whether intentionally or through algorithmic bias. Free users are effectively being monetised through their attention and data, creating psychological pressure to pay for an ad-free experience that amounts to charging for impartiality. This precedent of embedding advertising directly into AI reasoning tools sets a troubling trajectory for the industry, normalising commercial influence within systems designed to provide objective assistance.
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Originally published by The Verge as “OpenAI is sticking more ads in ChatGPT”.