TLDR
- OpenAI will begin testing ads in ChatGPT for free and Go plan users in the U.S. starting in the coming weeks
- Ads will appear at the bottom of chatbot responses and will be clearly labeled as sponsored content
- Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise subscription users will not see any advertisements
- The company will not share user conversations with marketers or let ads influence ChatGPT’s answers
- OpenAI is expanding its $8 per month Go plan to the U.S., which was previously only available in India
OpenAI announced on Friday it will start showing advertisements in ChatGPT to select users in the United States. The decision marks a major shift in how the artificial intelligence company generates revenue from its popular chatbot.
We are starting to test ads in ChatGPT free and Go (new $8/month option) tiers.
Here are our principles. Most importantly, we will not accept money to influence the answer ChatGPT gives you, and we keep your conversations private from advertisers.
It is clear to us that a lot… https://t.co/f9Dv53rWU7
— Sam Altman (@sama) January 16, 2026
The ads will begin appearing in the coming weeks for users on the free tier and the Go plan. OpenAI emphasized that advertisements will show up at the bottom of ChatGPT’s responses and will be clearly marked as sponsored content.
Users who pay for higher-tier subscriptions will not see ads. The Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans will remain ad-free.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman explained the reasoning behind the decision in a post on X. He said many people want to use AI tools but don’t want to pay for them.
The company is trying to find a business model that works for both free and paid users. Digital advertising has been a major revenue source for other tech companies like Google and Meta.
Testing Ads Without Compromising Privacy
OpenAI stated that ads will not influence the answers ChatGPT provides to users. The company also promised that user conversations will not be shared with advertisers or marketers.
The ads will only appear when there is a relevant sponsored product or service related to the current conversation. OpenAI said it will block ads from showing up around sensitive topics like health and politics.
Users under 18 years old will not see any advertisements. This restriction applies to all ChatGPT users in the ad test program.
The Go plan is now available in the U.S. for $8 per month. This lower-cost subscription option was first launched in India and is now expanding globally.
Users who choose the Go plan will see ads but will still have access to ChatGPT’s features. The plan sits between the free tier and the more expensive Plus subscription.
Revenue Pressure and Infrastructure Costs
OpenAI has been spending heavily on infrastructure and data centers. The company signed more than $1.4 trillion worth of infrastructure deals in 2025.
Altman said in November that OpenAI was on track to generate $20 billion in annualized revenue. The company is currently losing money despite this revenue figure.
OpenAI plans to spend over $1 trillion on artificial intelligence infrastructure by 2030. The company has not provided specific details on how it will fund these expenses.
ChatGPT has 800 million weekly active users. This large user base could generate substantial advertising revenue for OpenAI.
Industry analysts said ads could unlock a new revenue stream for the company. However, some experts warned that poorly executed ads could push users to competing chatbots like Google’s Gemini or Anthropic’s Claude.
OpenAI is preparing for a widely anticipated initial public offering. The company has relied on subscriptions as its main revenue source until now.
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