OpenAI to begin testing visual ads in ChatGPT image generation
OpenAI will start testing a new ad format in the US this month, displaying images of sponsored products when users generate images in ChatGPT. The ads will not appear for paying subscribers.
OpenAI is expanding advertising within ChatGPT by rolling out a new visual ad format. According to a Monday announcement, the ads will initially appear when users generate images with ChatGPT, with testing set to begin in the US later this month.
How the new format differs
Unlike the text-based ads OpenAI introduced in February — which show only a company's name, logo, and a link in a "sponsored" section beneath the chat — the new format will display actual images of sponsored products and services. OpenAI says these visual ads will remain separate from the image a user generates and will not influence the answers ChatGPT provides.
Restrictions and safeguards
The ads will not be shown to subscribers of ChatGPT's Plus, Pro, or Enterprise plans, meaning only free-tier users will see them. OpenAI says it has guardrails in place to assess whether a given conversation is appropriate for ads, aiming to keep them out of emotionally vulnerable, sensitive, or otherwise unsuitable contexts.
The company is currently testing the format with an initial group of advertisers and plans to explore additional ad formats going forward.
