Is AI Ultimately Driven by Advertising? What the Introduction of ChatGPT Ads Reveals About the "Reality of Consumer AI"

1. Finally, the Era of "Ads in ChatGPT"

Chatbots are the "next after search"—a phrase that has gained traction over the years. Now, ChatGPT is steering towards accepting advertisements. OpenAI has started a trial run of ad displays in the U.S., focusing on free users and a new plan. The aim is simple: while becoming one of the most used AI services globally, the costs for computational resources, data centers, and model development are skyrocketing. To keep accelerating growth, a revenue source beyond subscriptions became necessary.

Until now, ChatGPT's popularity has been driven by its "convenience and sufficient usability for free." However, this popularity also means ballooning operational costs. The more users there are, the more GPUs are consumed. This is where ads come in, as the internet's most powerful tool for achieving "free."

2. New Plan "ChatGPT Go" and the "Segregation of Ads"

The significant point in this news is that the introduction of ads is not discussed in isolation. OpenAI has introduced a low-cost new subscription "ChatGPT Go," filling the gap between free and high-priced tiers. Priced at $8 per month in the U.S., it targets the middle tier, offering more usage limits and features than the free version, but at a lower price than the existing "Plus ($20/month)" and "Pro ($200/month)."

The ad policy is to display ads in the free and Go plans, while higher-tier plans remain ad-free for now, making the price difference function as a "waiver of ads." This divides subscriptions not only by "performance difference" but also by "experience difference (presence or absence of ads)." This indicates that the "classic revenue design" seen in Netflix and YouTube is being transplanted into AI.

3. Where Ads Will Appear: Design to Avoid Disrupting the Experience

The method of displaying ads is extremely cautious to minimize user backlash. According to OpenAI, ads will be separated from the responses themselves and clearly marked as "sponsored displays." Instead of pop-ups that interrupt the conversation flow, they will be placed as "boxes" above or around the responses.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that ads might appear "at the top after prompt submission," indicating possible fluctuations in the initial test UI. In any case, OpenAI emphasizes that "ads do not influence responses." Unlike search ads, AI responses directly touch user decision-making through "the text itself." If any suspicion arises that advertisers can distort responses, ChatGPT could fall from being a "useful companion" to an "untrustworthy salesperson."

4. "We Don't Sell Conversation Data," Yet Concerns Remain

In introducing ads, OpenAI has established principles such as not providing conversation content to advertisers and not selling user data. Additionally, they have outlined boundaries, such as not displaying ads in sensitive areas like health, mental health, and politics, and not showing them to those under 18 (determined by declaration or estimation models).

However, looking at reactions on social media, many express that "while it makes sense logically, the emotional unease doesn't go away." Why? Conversational AI tends to include more vivid contexts than searches, such as user concerns, plans, learning content, and purchase intentions. Even if conversation logs aren't handed to advertisers, the mere fact that ads are displayed based on conversation topics leaves a sense that "conversations are fueling ads." Moreover, ChatGPT has a memory function that can optimize responses based on past conversations. If ad optimization intertwines here, doubts can easily amplify without transparency.

5. Why Now: The "Profitability Pressure" in the AI Industry

This ad test is not just a policy shift for OpenAI alone. As consumer-facing AI grows, the entire industry faces the question, "How will it ultimately make money?" Subscriptions are straightforward, but when the structure overwhelmingly consists of free users, its limits become apparent. Reports have repeatedly pointed out the low monetization rate relative to ChatGPT's user scale and the heavy operational and development costs.

Ads are a powerful option that can "recoup from the free tier." Moreover, conversations, like searches, come with high intent. Ads appearing in situations like "planning a trip," "wanting to fix PC settings," or "looking for a good chair" could be more immediately useful than social media timeline ads. OpenAI emphasizes a "useful ad experience" to justify ads as a function rather than a nuisance.

6. Reactions on Social Media: Opinions Split by "Price and Trust"

Here, we summarize reactions seen on social media (mainly Reddit) by trend.

(1) "It's Inevitable if It's Free" Realists
Voices suggesting that using high-performance AI for free was abnormal in itself. Ads are seen as akin to "electricity bills," with some viewing them as a necessary check on resource waste.

(2) "Even Paid Plans Will Eventually Have Ads" Skeptics
Even if it's said that "higher plans are ad-free," reactions like "that's just 'for now,' right?" are prominent. Many remember past services repeatedly raising prices, splitting functions, and expanding ads. On Reddit, some sarcastically suggest that Plus might further subdivide into something like "Plus with ads" in the future.

(3) Lamenting "Enshittification" (Acceleration of Deterioration)
A pessimistic view that the phenomenon of "good services deteriorating with ads and monetization after user acquisition" might apply to AI as well. Given the rapid integration of AI into daily life, there's concern that deterioration might also happen quickly.

(4) Declaration of Switching: "Moved to Claude," "Local Models Are the Answer"
Some reactions suggest switching to another chatbot or a local model running on a device if they dislike ads. Especially in products where "trust" is central to value, the introduction of ads can easily trigger a switch.

(5) Interest in the Go Plan: "Don't Need Plus, but Free Isn't Enough"
On the other hand, some welcome the Go middle plan itself. For those who find the free limit strict but don't use Plus heavily, $8 a month might be "just right." Whether they can tolerate ads depends on usage frequency.

(6) Voices Digging into Ethical Issues Over Ads
Some posts criticize the introduction of ads as the "final stage of commercialization," raising points like "how was the learning data and past 'non-profit' setup handled in the first place?" Ads are not just a revenue means but are directly linked to evaluating a company's stance and history.

7. Opportunities and Pitfalls for Advertisers and Small Businesses

OpenAI suggests that "ads are a significant opportunity for small businesses and emerging brands." Indeed, search ads are already highly competitive and costly. If "comparison through conversation" is realized on ChatGPT, ads could enter processes like response to questions and condition sorting, rather than just click inducement.

However, there are pitfalls. First, brand damage risk. If the conversation content and ads are slightly mismatched, they can easily be seen as "ads that don't read the room," increasing backlash. Second, if the boundary between ads and responses is suspected to be ambiguous, advertisers can also get caught up in a backlash. Third, regulation and transparency. More stringent design is required than ever before, such as clearly indicating ads, explaining targeting, and handling sensitive areas.

8. Ultimately, the AI Battle Is "Can It Earn Without Breaking Trust?"

Introducing ads is a short-term revenue expansion strategy. However, in the long term, it could change the very definition of "ChatGPT." Users have trusted ChatGPT as a "neutral and useful tool." Can that trust be maintained even with ads? Or will the introduction of ads strengthen the view that "this is ultimately a vessel for the ad business," weakening the motivation to use it?

OpenAI lists principles like "responses are not influenced by ads," "conversations are not shown to advertisers," "sensitive areas are avoided," and "minors are excluded," prioritizing trust maintenance. However, voices on social media are harsh. "Principles" are merely starting points, and evaluations are determined by the details of operation and exception handling.

Can ads be convincingly experienced as "convenient" rather than "annoying"? Or will they be seen as the "beginning of deterioration"? As consumer-facing AI enters the next phase, this turning point might be closer than expected.

References

1. Business Matters (Designated article: Ad Display Test and Go Plan Overview)
   https://bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/chatgpt-adverts-openai-new-subscription/

2. OpenAI Official Blog (Principles on Ads: Response Independence, Conversation Privacy, Exclusion of Sensitive Areas, Exclusion of Minors, etc.)
   https://openai.com/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/

3. Reuters (Scope of Ad Test, Risk of Flowing to Competitors, Considerations for Sensitive Areas and Under 18s, etc.)
   https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-begin-testing-ads-chatgpts-free-go-tiers-2026-01-16/

4. WIRED (Appearance of Ad Displays, Explanation by Fidji Simo, Supplement on Ad Mechanism and Data Policy)
   https://www.wired.com/story/openai-testing-ads-us

5. The Verge (Positioning of Go Plan, Aim to Fill the Gap Between Free/Plus)
   https://www.theverge.com/news/863466/openai-chatgpt-go-global-release

6. Reddit (Specific Examples of User Reactions: "No Ads Now, But in the Future?", "Deterioration Is Fast" Sentiments)
   https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenAI/comments/1qenaux/ads_are_coming_to_chatgpt_heres_how_theyll_work/

7. NDTV (Incident of Backlash Over "Ad-like Displays" at the End of 2025: Prehistory of Trust Issues)
   https://www.ndtv.com/feature/openai-faces-backlash-over-ads-appearing-in-chatgpt-users-advise-dont-do-it-9754275