OpenAI Introduces Ad Testing in ChatGPT: A Significant Revenue Strategy Shift
OpenAI announced on January 16, 2026, that it will begin testing advertisements within ChatGPT in the coming weeks. This move represents a significant shift in the company’s monetization strategy. The AI giant plans to display sponsored content at the bottom of responses for users on the free tier and the newly launched ChatGPT Go subscription ($8/month). However, premium tiers including Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise will remain ad-free.
The company emphasized that ads will be clearly labeled as “sponsored” and will not influence ChatGPT’s responses. OpenAI stated it will “never” sell user data to advertisers. It has also committed to excluding certain sensitive categories from advertising. These include:
- Politics
- Health
- Mental Health
Furthermore, users under 18 will not see ads based on AI age estimation.
This move comes as OpenAI faces mounting infrastructure costs. The company reportedly reached over $13 billion in revenue in 2025 while sustaining significant losses. CEO Sam Altman previously expressed reservations about introducing ads, describing the concept as “uniquely unsettling.” However, he acknowledged the need for diverse revenue streams to sustain free access to ChatGPT for its nearly one billion users.
Source: CNBC