ChatGPT just crossed a big line by introducing ads

Less than a month after its initial announcement, ChatGPT has started rolling out ads for users on its free and Go tiers. For now, the ads will only appear for 18+ users in the US.

With this move, ChatGPT becomes the first major AI chatbot to introduce advertising.

Ads will now appear in your ChatGPT conversations

In mid-January, OpenAI rolled out its cheapest Go tier globally. Starting at just $8 per month in the US, it offers higher messaging and file upload limits along with longer memory and context window than the free tier. 

Back then, OpenAI also confirmed its plans to introduce ads in ChatGPT conversations. These ads are now going live for ChatGPT free and Go users in the US.

To start, OpenAI is treating the rollout as a limited test, designed to “learn, listen, and make sure we get the experience right.”

We’re starting to roll out a test for ads in ChatGPT today to a subset of free and Go users in the U.S.

Ads do not influence ChatGPT’s answers. Ads are labeled as sponsored and visually separate from the response.

Our goal is to give everyone access to ChatGPT for free with… pic.twitter.com/S9BV24uJLb

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) February 9, 2026

For now, ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education tiers will remain ad-free.

The company also confirms that ads will not influence ChatGPT’s responses, and advertisers will not have access to user conversations. It will also label each advert as sponsored, so that users clearly know if they interact with it.

However, OpenAI says it will maintain a clear separation between ads and ChatGPT’s responses.

You can dismiss any ads that you see in ChatGPT, share feedback with OpenAI and even delete any ad data linked to your account. 

Ads will fund further ChatGPT expansions

For advertisers, OpenAI will provide them with information on the number of views and clicks, but that’s about it. Its reporting data will not be as in-depth as Meta or Google. 

Ads will be tied to user searches. For example, if you’re chatting with ChatGPT about toys, it may surface relevant ads from advertisers.

With ads, OpenAI wants to expand access to ChatGPT features to more people while funding the extra resources required. 

By introducing ads, ChatGPT has crossed a line many users assumed AI chatbots would avoid, at least for now. While OpenAI insists ads won’t influence responses or compromise privacy, their arrival marks a clear shift in how conversational AI will be funded going forward.

For free users especially, this feels less like a small experiment and more like the beginning of a new, ad-supported era for AI.