OpenAI will begin testing ads in the ChatGPT app for users in the US in the coming weeks, aiming to increase revenue from the chatbot.
OpenAI will begin testing ads in the ChatGPT app for users in the US in the coming weeks, aiming to increase revenue from the chatbot.
According to Bloomberg, the ads will initially appear on registered users of the free version of ChatGPT, as well as on the new, cheaper «Go» plan for $8 per month.
At the same time, the more expensive paid levels of ChatGPT will remain ad-free for now.
OpenAI’s decision to launch advertising, the publication writes, reflects a desire to diversify its revenues ahead of a potential initial public offering and help offset the huge costs of creating and supporting artificial intelligence systems.
In particular, OpenAI, which is unlikely to be profitable in the coming years, has committed to spending about $1.4 trillion on data centers and AI chips.
The move is a bit of a U-turn for a company that has relied heavily on a subscription model. CEO Sam Altman has previously expressed a personal dislike for advertising, calling it a «last resort.»
Altman expressed concerns that users might not trust the chatbot as much if they thought it was trying to promote certain products.
OpenAI plans to test ads by clearly separating the ad units from the chat functionality to begin with, and the company said the ads could help users make better purchasing decisions with the chatbot.
OpenAI’s general manager of applications, Fiji Simo, assured that the ads will not influence the answers ChatGPT provides to users. The company also said that it will not share users' chats with advertisers, and will not show ads on sensitive topics, such as mental health and politics, to users under 18.
As dev.ua reported, OpenAI may soon launch advertising in ChatGPT. This is indicated by the fact that new code elements were found in the beta version of the service’s Android application, which directly indicate the preparation of an advertising model for the chatbot.
