- Ads may appear on ChatGPT in the near future
- Related text was spotted in the ChatGPT app
- It’s not clear how these ads would work or appear.
We know that generating piles of AI text, images, and videos every day isn’t cheap, and it looks like the inevitable is about to happen: according to a new rumor, OpenAI is testing ads in ChatGPT, ahead of a full rollout to users.
As spotted by @btibor91 (via BleepingComputer), the latest ChatGPT app for Android includes hidden code that refers to an “ad feature”, “junk content”, a “search ad” and a “search ad carousel” – so it’s clear what’s coming.
What’s unclear is when and how OpenAI might decide to introduce ads into chats, or if paying a subscription will be enough to hide them. Based on the style of the current ChatGPT app interface, including the new Shopping search tool, we expect them to be subtle and well integrated into ChatGPT’s current aesthetic.
Indeed, OpenAI has already publicly stated that ads should be “thoughtful and tasteful”, if they are to be used – which is almost certainly the case, given the cost of running all those GPUs and data centers.
Ads with your AI
Android app ChatGPT 1.2025.329 beta includes new references to an “ad feature” with “bazaar content”, “search ad” and “search ad carousel” pic.twitter.com/BdHOJIQHmANovember 29, 2025
It’s really no surprise to see advertising coming to ChatGPT. The move has been long planned and would bring the chatbot in line with other AI offerings – it’s something Google and Microsoft have already tested, for example.
If we are to accept advertising, it must at least be well-targeted and relevant: the AI applications that many of us chat with on a daily basis have access to a wealth of information about our likes, dislikes, and interests, and all of this can be leveraged to generate advertising links relevant to a user’s current prompts and queries.
AI-powered searches are an obvious place to start, because if you’re looking for something to buy online, you might be interested in a sponsored link or two. However, OpenAI will need to ensure that advertising content remains distinct from the usual responses of AI bots.
ChatGPT just turned three years old yesterday, November 30, but its user base has quickly grown to hundreds of millions of people, and that’s a lot of eyeballs that ads could also be served to. There have also been rumors of subscription price hikes, although they have not happened yet.
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