After months of speculation, ChatGPT ads are officially here.
They’ve launched quietly as a test in the US, but make no mistake: this is a meaningful shift in how OpenAI plans to operate, compete, and survive at scale. While the rollout is measured, the implications are anything but.
Here’s what we know so far.
Ads won’t interfere with the core answer experience. They won’t be shown to users under 18. Privacy controls will be built in. For now, ads will only appear on the Free and Go tiers, not paid plans.
From a commercial perspective, buying is expected to be CPM-based, reportedly around $60, with limited in-platform reporting at launch. Access is restricted, with a minimum commitment rumoured to be around $200k.
This is not a broad, open marketplace yet. It’s a controlled, high-barrier test. And that tells us a lot.
Why OpenAI had to move now
OpenAI needs to monetise quickly and meaningfully. Not eventually. Now.
Running frontier models at global scale is brutally expensive, and the competitive pressure is intensifying from every direction. Ads are one of the few levers that can generate revenue at the speed and scale required, without immediately degrading the user experience or fragmenting the product.
Crucially, OpenAI is signalling that it wants to build a sustainable business, not just a category-defining product.
This move also reframes ChatGPT less as a tool and more as a platform.
The competitive context is brutal
Zoom out, and the timing makes even more sense.
Anthropic is reportedly closing in on a $20bn round at a $350bn valuation. Their positioning around “AI at work” is increasingly clear, and their enterprise focus gives them a different, but very credible, path to scale.
Meta is aggressively moving into the agent space through acquisitions and internal investment. Their ambition around superintelligence is explicit, and their ability to distribute new products to billions of users is unmatched.
Google, meanwhile, has the infrastructure, access and capital to accelerate its dominance in consumer AI if it chooses to fully press the accelerator.
In that context, OpenAI doesn’t have the luxury of moving slowly.
What this could change
If ads in ChatGPT work, it opens up an entirely new performance environment for brands. One rooted not in feeds or interruption, but in intent, context and problem-solving moments.
That’s powerful. And potentially disruptive.
But it also raises hard questions around measurement, transparency, user trust and long-term incentives. Limited reporting and high minimum spends suggest OpenAI is prioritising control and learning over scale, at least for now.
That’s sensible. But it won’t last forever.
Final thought
This feels like a make-or-break moment.
OpenAI is under pressure, but it’s also in a uniquely strong position. If it can balance monetisation with trust, and platform growth with product integrity, this could mark the beginning of a very different AI landscape.
And honestly, it’s fascinating to watch.
The next 12 months are going to matter a lot.
If you need support navigating what these shifts in AI platforms mean for your brand, product or media strategy, get in touch with the Found team – we’re always happy to talk through what’s coming next.
