OpenAI announces upcoming ad tests in the free and low-cost ChatGPT tiers, saying ads will be separate from responses and won’t affect output or user privacy.
Abuja, Nigeria — OpenAI has announced plans to begin testing advertisements in its ChatGPT service for users on the free tier and the lower-cost “Go” subscription, the company said on Friday, January 16, 2026, as it seeks new revenue streams to support the high costs of developing advanced artificial intelligence.
According to an official statement, the ad tests will begin in the United States in the coming weeks and will roll out gradually, with the company emphasising that ads will not affect the answers or responses generated by the chatbot.
Paid tiers — including Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise — will remain ad-free.
OpenAI said the planned ads will be displayed clearly separate from the main ChatGPT responses, so users can easily distinguish between ads and content.
The company also pledged that user conversations and personal data will not be shared with advertisers, and that ads will not influence the chatbot’s output.
Ads are expected to appear at the bottom of responses when there is a relevant product or service related to a user’s query. The approach aims to balance revenue generation with a high-quality user experience while maintaining user privacy and trust.
OpenAI said it will also block ads from appearing near sensitive topics such as health, mental health and politics, and will not show ads to users the system predicts are under 18 years old. Users may have controls to dismiss ads or adjust personalisation settings if they choose.
The move marks a significant shift for OpenAI, which has relied primarily on subscriptions for revenue since before ChatGPT’s launch.
As the company invests in large-scale infrastructure and prepares for long-term growth, advertising could help offset costs and broaden access to AI capabilities without requiring all users to pay subscription fees.
Industry analysts say introducing ads on the free and “Go” tiers may generate meaningful revenue from hundreds of millions of users while preserving premium experiences for paying subscribers.
However, critics warn that monetisation could affect user trust if not implemented carefully.
OpenAI will begin the ad test phase in the United States before evaluating user feedback and possibly extending the feature to other regions.
The company said it remains committed to prioritising privacy, user control and clear labelling of ad content in the ChatGPT experience.
