OpenAI has officially confirmed that ads are coming to ChatGPT.

OpenAI Officially Confirms Ads Are Coming to ChatGPT

Sam Altman long called advertising a "last resort," preferring an aesthetically clean interface, but on January 16, 2026, OpenAI officially announced the start of advertising tests. This decision is driven by the need to monetize its more than 800 million users amidst colossal infrastructure costs.

Ads will appear for users on the free tier and the new budget subscription ChatGPT Go ($8 per month). Ads will still not be present in the Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise subscriptions.

Ads will not be embedded directly into the response text (to avoid ruining the experience). They will be displayed as a separate block or carousel below the chatbot's response when the conversation topic aligns with a sponsor's offering. OpenAI vows that advertisers cannot influence the content of the AI's responses. The model will not "praise" brands in the chat.