OpenAI will begin testing visual advertisements in ChatGPT later this month, starting with U.S. users generating images through ChatGPT Images, the company said in a blog post Monday.
ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers will not see ads in their chats. Enterprise customers will also remain exempt.
“Ads will be clearly labeled, and remain separate from the image being created,” OpenAI said. “As with our other ad formats, advertising does not influence the answers ChatGPT provides.”
OpenAI is testing the visual ads with a select group of initial advertisers. The company said it plans to experiment with additional advertising formats in the future.
OpenAI first began displaying ads in ChatGPT at the start of the year. Those ads appear in a sponsored section beneath the chatbot’s responses and include the sponsor’s name, logo and a link to its website.
The company said adding visuals would help people better imagine how recommended products and services “could fit into their lives.”
OpenAI said it has safeguards to ensure ads appear only alongside topics where advertising would be appropriate. ChatGPT will not display ads during discussions of sensitive topics, including personal health or mental wellbeing.
