OpenAI Expands ChatGPT Advertising Pilot to Five New Markets

OpenAI expanded its ChatGPT advertising pilot on August 13 to the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea. This follows an initial rollout in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The company is using the advertising model to monetize its conversational interface and fund compute-heavy features while keeping lower-tier access affordable.

Advertisements are targeted at logged-in adult users on the Free and Go subscription tiers, while Plus, Pro, Enterprise, Business, and Education plans remain ad-free. OpenAI stated that ads will be visually distinct, labeled as sponsored, and will not influence or bias the model's generated responses. Targeting relies on internal signals such as conversation context, location, and language, though the company maintains that advertisers will not receive access to private chat histories or personal details.

On August 14, the company sent emails to some users in India notifying them of privacy policy updates regarding advertising, suggesting a potential future rollout in that country. This shift follows previous comments from CEO Sam Altman, who characterized advertising as a last resort for the company in 2024. Safety guardrails prohibit ads for users under 18, during Temporary Chats, or alongside sensitive topics including politics and mental health.