OpenAI is preparing to show more advertising inside ChatGPT. In a blog post published Monday, the company said it will begin testing a new visual ad format inside its chatbot later this month, with users in the United States seeing it first. According to Engadget, the ads will appear when someone uses ChatGPT Images to generate a picture.
This is a notable business shift for the most used AI product in the world, which started showing sponsored results at the start of the year. Those earlier ads sit in a sponsored section beneath ChatGPT's answers, showing the sponsor's name, logo and a link. The new format pushes advertising into the moment a user is actively waiting for ChatGPT to work.
ChatGPT visual ads: what changes
The key difference is timing and format. 9to5Google reports that OpenAI confirmed the new ads will show while prompts are processing, specifically during image generation. The company says the format helps people imagine how products and services could fit into their lives, using images that show product inspiration, product usage or the experiences they make possible.
OpenAI insists the approach stays clean. Ads will be clearly labeled and remain separate from the image being created, and the company says advertising does not influence the answers ChatGPT provides. It also says safeguards keep ads away from sensitive conversations, so users discussing personal health or mental wellbeing should not see them. The test is limited to a select group of initial advertisers, with more formats promised in the future.
- New visual ads appear during image generation in ChatGPT
- US users get the test first, starting later this month
- Ads are labeled and kept separate from the generated image
