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\n ChatGPT may soon serve up ads for products it thinks you\u2019d like to buy.\n <\/p>\n
\n OpenAI announced<\/a> on Friday that it will be testing ads in its free version for logged-in, adult US users. It\u2019s also rolling out an $8-per-month \u201cGo\u201d subscription tier that includes some upgraded capabilities, such as longer memory and more image creation opportunities, a lower price than its \u201cPlus\u201d ($20\/month) and Pro ($200\/month) subscriptions. \u201cGo\u201d subscribers will also get ads, while Plus, Pro and OpenAI\u2019s business customers won\u2019t.\n <\/p>\n \n OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has previously expressed reservations about introducing ads to ChatGPT. But the move comes as OpenAI is urgently trying to figure out<\/a> how to bring in more revenue from its 800 million monthly users to help it afford the $1.4 trillion it has committed to spending on AI infrastructure over the next eight years. Altman said in November that the company expected to end 2025 with around $20 billion in annual revenue.\n <\/p>\n \n Last year, the company launched<\/a> a tool called \u201cInstant Checkout\u201d that lets users buy items from retailers such as Walmart and Etsy directly through ChatGPT. OpenAI also introduced health and learning tools, among others, as it looks to make ChatGPT a more essential part of users\u2019 everyday lives and potentially give them a reason to upgrade to a paid subscription.\n <\/p>\n \n Advertising could prove a lucrative strategy for OpenAI, as using the information from people\u2019s conversations with ChatGPT could make for highly targeted ads. For example, if a user asked ChatGPT for help planning a trip, it could serve up ads for a hotel or entertainment in the area.\n <\/p>\n \n As part of the test, ads will show up at the bottom of ChatGPT\u2019s answer to a user\u2019s query and will be labeled as \u201csponsored.\u201d OpenAI said ads won\u2019t dictate the answers ChatGPT provides, adding that users \u201cneed to trust that ChatGPT\u2019s responses are driven by what\u2019s objectively useful.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n The company also said it will not sell user data or conversations to advertisers and that users can turn off ad personalization based on their chats. OpenAI doesn\u2019t plan to advertise in conversations about \u201cregulated topics\u201d including health, mental health or politics.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cGiven what AI can do, we\u2019re excited to develop new experiences over time that people find more helpful and relevant than any other ads,\u201d OpenAI said in a blog post. \u201cSoon you might see an ad and be able to directly ask the questions you need to make a purchase decision.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Altman said in a 2024 interview<\/a> that he \u201chates\u201d ads and called the idea of combining ads with AI \u201cuniquely unsettling,\u201d although he added that \u201cI\u2019m not saying OpenAI would never consider ads.\u201d Last year, he said<\/a> he wasn\u2019t \u201ctotally against\u201d adding ads to ChatGPT, but said it would \u201ctake a lot of care to get right.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Inserting ads into chatbot conversations could be controversial, given users\u2019 sometimes personal and intimate conversations. And the move will amp up the pressure on OpenAI to ensure it doesn\u2019t recommend products that could be potentially dangerous or harmful, especially after the company has faced lawsuits<\/a> alleging that ChatGPT encouraged users\u2019 suicides.\n <\/p>\n \n OpenAI said it will not serve ads to users who have identified themselves as, or who it believes are, under 18. (The company uses AI to estimate users\u2019 ages<\/a> based on their conversations and usage habits.)\n <\/p>\n