OpenAI Starts Pitching ChatGPT Ads to Brands Ahead of February Trial

SAN FRANCISCO — OpenAI has begun approaching dozens of major advertisers to participate in an inaugural advertising trial on ChatGPT, signalling a potential new revenue stream for one of the world’s most widely used AI chatbots.

According to a report by The Information, the Microsoft-backed company is seeking initial spending commitments of under $1 million per brand for a multi-week pilot program expected to launch in early February.

Key Takeaways

• OpenAI is pitching ads inside ChatGPT to select major brands ahead of a limited trial expected to start in early February.
• The early ad model is reportedly impression-based, signalling a focus on brand visibility rather than click-driven performance.
• The test could mark a new advertising channel in conversational AI, with potential long-term implications for digital marketing and search advertising budgets.

The move indicates OpenAI is exploring advertising alongside its subscription business as the costs of training and operating frontier AI models remain high.

Impressions over clicks

Unlike Google’s dominant cost-per-click (CPC) advertising model, OpenAI is reportedly structuring early pricing around ad views (impressions), suggesting a focus on brand exposure rather than direct-response performance.

OpenAI has not yet deployed a self-service advertising platform, a standard tool for digital marketers, meaning early placements could be handled through direct sales and managed campaigns designed to limit user backlash and protect the product experience.

Challenging search advertising

The test marks OpenAI’s most direct step yet toward competing for digital advertising budgets. If chatbot advertising gains traction, it could eventually pressure spending across traditional search and other performance channels by inserting brands into conversational discovery.

One digital advertising analyst said the model could reshape parts of online marketing if users increasingly turn to AI assistants for product recommendations and decision-making.

Brief Summary

OpenAI is pitching advertising placements on ChatGPT to select brands for a trial run expected to begin in February, according to The Information. The pilot reportedly seeks spending commitments under $1 million per advertiser and may charge based on impressions rather than clicks. The effort signals OpenAI’s interest in advertising as an additional revenue stream as AI operating costs remain high.

Why This Matters for Business Leaders

• New ad channel emerging: If ChatGPT ads expand beyond trial mode, it could create a new premium placement channel for brand discovery and consumer decision-making.
• Search budgets could be rebalanced: Even limited chatbot ad adoption could gradually shift marketing spend from traditional search and social platforms toward conversational AI-driven placement.
• Brand safety is central: Advertisers will closely watch how OpenAI prevents misinformation, bias, or unsafe adjacency when brands appear inside AI-generated responses.
• Measurement challenges ahead: Impression-based pricing suggests an early focus on awareness, but marketers will demand clearer attribution and performance tracking over time.
• AI platform influence grows: If consumers increasingly rely on AI assistants to evaluate products, businesses may need to optimize not only for SEO, but for “AI discovery” and recommendation ecosystems.

FAQs

Q1) Is ChatGPT getting ads?

OpenAI is preparing a limited advertising trial on ChatGPT, according to a report by The Information.

Q2) When will the advertising trial start?

The pilot is expected to launch in early February, according to the report.

Q3) How will advertisers be charged?

The report said OpenAI is considering pricing tied to ad views (impressions), rather than clicks.

Q4) Who can advertise?

Initially, a limited group of invited advertisers. OpenAI has not yet launched a self-serve platform, the report said.

Q5) Why is OpenAI exploring advertising?

Advertising could provide an additional revenue stream to support the high costs of AI infrastructure, including chips, servers and model development.