OpenAI starts testing ads in ChatGPT
Source: Engadget
Overview
Users on ChatGPT’s free and Go plans in the United States may now start to see ads as OpenAI begins testing them in the chatbot. The company announced plans to bring ads to ChatGPT, stating that they will display sponsored products and services relevant to the current conversations of logged‑in users. Users can disable personalization and “clear the data used for ads” at any time.
“Our goal is for ads to support broader access to more powerful ChatGPT features while maintaining the trust people place in ChatGPT for important and personal tasks,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post. “We’re starting with a test to learn, listen and make sure we get the experience right.”
Ad Placement and Policies
- Ads appear at the bottom of chats, clearly labeled and separated from ChatGPT’s answers.
- Ads do not influence ChatGPT’s responses.
- Ads are not shown when users discuss regulated or sensitive topics such as health, mental wellbeing, or politics.
- Users under 18 will not see ads during the test.
- OpenAI says it will not share or sell users’ conversations or data to advertisers.
Revenue Expectations
A source close to the company told CNBC that OpenAI expects ads to account for less than half of its revenue in the long run. The company also takes a cut of items purchased through its chatbot via the shopping integration feature. According to CNBC, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told staff on Friday that the company will deploy “an updated Chat model” this week.
Industry Reaction
The tests come on the heels of Anthropic running Super Bowl ads that poked fun at OpenAI for introducing advertising. Anthropic’s spot asserted that while “ads are coming to AI,” they won’t appear in its own chatbot, Claude.
This article originally appeared on Engadget: OpenAI starts testing ads in ChatGPT.