OpenAI has announced it will begin testing advertisements inside ChatGPT for free and Go tier users in the United States, introducing a new monetization approach as it looks to broaden access while sustaining large-scale AI operations.

Ads will appear below responses as “Sponsored Recommendations” and may be targeted based on conversation context. OpenAI said ads will be excluded from sensitive categories such as health, politics, and content involving underage users.

The move coincides with the global rollout of the $8-per-month ChatGPT Go tier, with advertising intended to offset the lower subscription price. OpenAI emphasized that premium plans—including Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise—will remain ad-free.

The company also stated it will not sell user data and that advertisements will not influence ChatGPT’s responses. OpenAI framed the experiment as a way to expand access while preserving user trust and safety.

Why it matters: Advertising inside AI assistants represents a delicate shift in the industry’s business models. How OpenAI balances monetization with trust, neutrality, and user experience could set important precedents for how conversational AI is funded and governed going forward.