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OpenAI to test visual ads in ChatGPT, expanding its advertising push

Sponsored images will appear alongside AI-generated pictures, initially for US free-tier users

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time1 min
OpenAI announced on Monday it will begin testing a new visual ad format in ChatGPT later this month, placing sponsored product images alongside user-generated pictures. The move builds on text-based ads introduced in February, as the company continues to explore revenue beyond subscriptions.

The new format will appear initially when users generate images with ChatGPT, according to OpenAI's announcement. The visual ads will show images of sponsored products and services, kept separate from the user's own output. The company says the ads will "not influence the answers ChatGPT provides" and will not appear for ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscribers.

OpenAI first introduced advertising into ChatGPT in February 2026, with a format that displayed a company's name, logo, and a product link in a "sponsored" section beneath a chat thread. The latest expansion adds a visual dimension to that effort, targeting free-tier users in the United States during the initial test period.

The announcement did not specify which brands are participating or how long the test will run. OpenAI has not disclosed broader plans for rolling out visual ads to other regions or use cases beyond image generation.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Free ChatGPT users will encounter more commercial content during image generation, potentially affecting the user experience.
  • The move signals OpenAI's increasing reliance on advertising revenue as it seeks to monetise its popular chatbot without raising subscription prices.
  • As AI assistants become more embedded in daily tasks, the line between organic output and sponsored content could blur, raising questions about user trust.

Background

OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT, has a large free user base alongside paid tiers. The company introduced its first ad format in February 2026, placing text-based sponsored links beneath chat responses. The new visual ad format expands this further, embedding promotional images into certain contexts such as image generation, while the company works to balance monetisation with user experience.

Key Perspectives

Free-tier ChatGPT users: They may see more intrusive advertising during image creation, potentially diminishing the utility of the free service. Paid subscribers (Plus, Pro): They are exempt from the new ads, preserving the ad-free experience they pay for. Advertisers and brands: They gain a new channel to reach an engaged audience within an AI interface, but must accept the constraint that ads cannot influence ChatGPT's responses. Critics and privacy advocates: Visual ads embedded in generative AI outputs raise concerns about data usage, targeting, and the difficulty of distinguishing sponsored content from organic results.

What to Watch

  • User feedback and opt-out patterns during the US test launch later this month.
  • Whether OpenAI expands visual ads to other features beyond image generation.
  • Any signs that the ad program affects ChatGPT adoption or churn for paid subscriptions.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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