OpenAI has announced that it has begun testing ads in ChatGPT in the US. The test will be for logged-in adult users on the Free and Go subscription tiers. Further, the AI company confirmed that ads won't influence the answers the chatbot will provide. Here's everything to know about the update.

While explaining why the company is going for ads in ChatGPT, it said, "Keeping the Free and Go tiers fast and reliable requires significant infrastructure and ongoing investment. Ads help fund that work, supporting broader access to AI through higher quality free and low cost options, and enabling us to keep improving the intelligence and capabilities we offer over time."

The company is also providing an option to opt out of ads in the free tier but with a tradeoff where you'll get fewer daily free messages. Or, you can upgrade to the Plus or Pro plans if you want to avoid ads in ChatGPT.

The core message is straightforward: ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives. Responses are generated based on what's most helpful to the user, and any ads that appear are clearly marked as sponsored and kept visually separate from the actual answer.

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During this testing phase, ads are shown based on relevance. That means they're matched to the topic of the conversation, past chats, and previous interactions with ads. For instance, someone looking up recipes might see ads related to meal kits or grocery services. If multiple advertisers fit the same topic, the system prioritizes the one that's most relevant to the conversation.

Privacy is a key part of how ads in ChatGPT are designed. Advertisers do not get access to chat content, chat history, memories, or personal details. Instead, they only receive aggregated performance data, such as how many people viewed or clicked on an ad. Individual conversations remain private.

There are also clear limits on where ads can appear. Ads will not be shown to users who are under 18, or in conversations that touch on sensitive or regulated topics like health, mental health, or politics. OpenAI says it plans to expand advertising carefully, adding safeguards as the system evolves and learning from user feedback during testing.

Users also have control over ads in ChatGPT. This includes the ability to dismiss ads, give feedback, understand why a specific ad was shown, delete ad-related data with a single tap, and manage personalization settings at any time.

Finally, OpenAI says the goal is to understand how ads can fit naturally into conversations before expanding further. For businesses, this is an early step toward exploring how they might participate in the ChatGPT experience in ways that add value, with more formats and options expected over time.