OpenAI Begins Testing Ads in Free ChatGPT as Company Expands Revenue Strategy

Jan 17, 2026
The Deep View
Article image for OpenAI Begins Testing Ads in Free ChatGPT as Company Expands Revenue Strategy

Summary

OpenAI launches ad testing in free ChatGPT across the US while expanding its $8 monthly subscription globally, promising clearly labeled ads that won't influence responses or involve selling user data to advertisers.

Key Points

  • OpenAI announces it will begin testing ads in ChatGPT's free tier in the US and expand its $8/month ChatGPT Go plan globally, while keeping premium subscriptions ad-free
  • The company promises ads will be clearly labeled and separate from responses, will not influence ChatGPT's answers, and user data will never be sold to advertisers
  • OpenAI joins other AI companies like Perplexity in adopting advertising as a monetization strategy, following the business model that made Google and Meta billions

Tags

Read Original Article