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OpenAI Begins U.S. Test of Ads in ChatGPT’s Free and Go Tiers

OpenAI casts the U.S. trial as a way to defray rising compute costs without altering answers.

Overview

  • Labeled sponsored placements will appear below relevant answers for logged-in adults on Free and $8 Go, with dismiss controls and an option to turn off personalization.
  • OpenAI says ads will not influence responses, conversations will not be shared or sold to advertisers, and ads are excluded for users under 18 and around topics such as health, mental health, or politics.
  • Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans remain ad-free as the company starts with a U.S.-only rollout in the coming weeks before potential expansion.
  • The shift comes as OpenAI scales infrastructure; CFO Sarah Friar reported a 2025 annualized revenue run rate above $20 billion and computing capacity rising to 1.9 gigawatts.
  • Journalists and analysts are scrutinizing privacy-policy consistency and competitive effects, with one estimate projecting up to about $25 billion in annual ad revenue by 2030 if execution succeeds.