OpenAI starts testing ads in the free version of ChatGPT for users in the United States

OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT, the most popular AI chatbot, has started testing ads in the United States, a significant change for a product that has operated without advertising since its launch. The test is being conducted for authenticated users who use the free version and the new Go subscription, costing $8 per month. Users of paid plans will not see ads.

OpenAI emphasizes that the purpose of the test is to learn and to integrate ads naturally into the user experience, ensuring that they do not influence the chatbot's responses. The ads will be personalized based on the topics of discussions and will be labeled as sponsored. Advertisers will not have access to individual user data, only aggregated information. Criticism has arisen from rival Anthropic, which launched ironic ads about the integration of advertising in AI, and OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, labeled the campaign as 'dishonest.'