OpenAI is exploring ways to integrate advertising into ChatGPT, with internal discussions revealing plans to prioritize sponsored results over non-sponsored ones, according to a report by The Information.
In one conversation among OpenAI employees, staff discussed providing sponsored chatbot responses with “preferential treatment.” For instance, if a user asks about the proper ibuprofen dosage for a headache, the chatbot might promote an Advil advertisement prominently, while accurate dosage information could be placed lower or overshadowed by ad content. This approach mirrors the prevalence of sponsored results in traditional search engines like Google, where users often scroll past multiple ads.
ChatGPT reportedly reaches 900 million weekly users, a massive audience that underscores the potential scale of such advertising features. OpenAI employees have also weighed user reactions, noting that intrusive ads could discourage extended conversations, as users might perceive corporate advertisers as intrusive observers.
To mitigate this, one ad mockup shared with The Information depicted advertisements appearing only after a user’s second prompt, delaying sponsored content to avoid overwhelming early interactions.
The discoveries originated in early December when a software researcher identified about a dozen lines of code in the beta version of ChatGPT’s Android app. The code referenced elements such as “feature ads” and “search ads carousel,” signaling active experimentation with ad placements.
These findings stem from anonymous accounts of internal OpenAI conversations shared with The Information. The company has not finalized any ad implementation.
An OpenAI spokesperson addressed the reports, stating: “As ChatGPT becomes more capable and widely used, we’re looking at ways to continue offering more intelligence to everyone. As part of this, we’re exploring what ads in our product could look like. People have a trusted relationship with ChatGPT, and any approach would be designed to respect that trust.”
The spokesperson’s comments confirm ongoing exploration but provide no timeline for ad rollout. Internal talks highlight efforts to balance revenue potential with maintaining user trust in the chatbot interface.
