OpenAI starts showing visual ads alongside ChatGPT's AI-generated images
OpenAI is rolling out a new display ad format that will appear next to images users ask ChatGPT to create. The ads will launch this month in the U.S. only, with a limited initial group of advertisers.
OpenAI is broadening its advertising lineup inside ChatGPT by introducing visual display ads that will surface alongside images users request the chatbot to generate. The new format is set to begin appearing later this month, limited for now to the U.S. market, and will feature a small initial test group of advertisers.
According to the company, the ads will be clearly labeled as such and will not influence the answers ChatGPT gives users. The move comes shortly after Meta launched Muse, a free agentic AI app positioned as a growing rival to leading chatbots including ChatGPT.
OpenAI first introduced ads earlier this year as a way to support its free and low-cost subscription tiers, later expanding the program to India in August. The company's current goal is to attract advertisers who want to reach potential customers through richer visual storytelling. Once rolled out globally, such ads could eventually reach ChatGPT's 1.2 billion weekly users.
At the same time, adding ads risks disrupting the user experience — something that may be partly intentional, as it could nudge more casual users toward paid subscriptions to avoid seeing ads.
Expanded measurement network
Alongside the new display ads, OpenAI is widening its measurement tools and partner ecosystem. Its click attribution partners now include AppsFlyer, Triple Whale, Adjust, DV Rockerbox, Northbeam, Branch, Singular, Kochava, Airbridge and Tenjin, while full-funnel advanced measurement is handled with Fospha, Measured and INCRMNTAL. OpenAI has also partnered with Haus, Measured and WorkMagic to help advertisers run geo-based experiments.
The company additionally said it is developing brand suitability evaluation pilots with assistance from DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science, aimed at helping advertisers better understand the ChatGPT advertising environment. Together, these steps show OpenAI working to turn ChatGPT into a viable ad-supported business for users on free and low-cost plans.
