Overview
- OpenAI is testing advertisements in ChatGPT for free and lower‑tier users in the United States, with plans to gradually increase exposure there before considering other markets.
- Ads are displayed as clearly labeled placements beneath answers and use the current conversation, with optional personalised‑ads and memory settings allowing references to past chats.
- OpenAI pledges that advertising will not influence ChatGPT’s answers and that advertisers will not receive user conversations.
- Australian digital‑rights advocates and legal advisers warn that chat‑informed ads involve sensitive personal data and call for updates to privacy and consumer laws before any rollout.
- The push into advertising reflects pressure to monetise expensive AI services, and experts say OpenAI’s move could set a precedent other generative‑AI providers may follow.