- OpenAI has started showing ads to ChatGPT users in the US
- It only affects users on the Free and Go tiers at the moment
- Many users are unhappy with the new policy
There’s been much chatter over how sustainable OpenAI’s business model is, with the AI pioneer reportedly struggling to turn a profit despite charging up to $200 a month for ChatGPT’s premium plans. One way that it could supplement that income is through serving ads, and they’re now rolling out to users of the chatbot’s Free and Go tiers – and not everyone is happy.
As seen in a post on the company’s official blog, OpenAI says it has begun testing ads for logged-in users who are based in the US and are on either the Free or Go tiers, meaning that people on the Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans are not affected.
OpenAI sought to reassure users by saying that ads do not have any effect on the answers provided by ChatGPT and that “we keep your conversations with ChatGPT private from advertisers.” That means “advertisers do not have access to your chats, chat history, memories, or personal details,” OpenAI said. “Advertisers only receive aggregate information about how their ads perform such as number of views or clicks.”
Users that ChatGPT knows are under 18 will not see ads, while advertising will not appear alongside “sensitive or regulated topics” like health and politics. Free users can also opt out of seeing ads at the cost of “fewer daily free messages.” OpenAI didn’t expand on that limit and it’s not clear if Go users can opt out, either.
If you don’t like an ad, you can dismiss it or send feedback to OpenAI. This will influence which ads you see in the future. You can also delete ad data that has been collected about you from ChatGPT’s settings.
OpenAI explained how the ads would work by saying: “During the test, we decide which ad to show by matching ads submitted by advertisers with the topic of your conversation, your past chats, and past interactions with ads.” That might mean you see ads for meal kits or delivery services if you’re researching recipes, for example.
“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 added. “We’re starting with a test to learn, listen, and make sure we get the experience right.”
The backlash has begun
It probably won’t come as a surprise to know that plenty of users are unhappy with the move. On Reddit, for example, user serya5555 was blunt in their outlook, saying: “ChatGPT is done. Better alternatives are there. Unfortunately they couldn’t keep the lead.”
Another Reddit user stated that “If I get a single ad I’m switching to Claude,” referring to the rival chatbot service. A thread on Reddit referring to OpenAI’s move was titled “And so the enshittification begins,” referring to the process whereby a service that originally sought to serve its customers gradually shifts to serving its investors, with a resulting decline in product quality.
Another potential point of contention is the fact that Go users currently have to pay $8 a month for access to the service, yet paying apparently does not exempt them from seeing ads. To some, that might feel like nickel and diming when people are already being charged for ChatGPT Go.
With OpenAI apparently losing money hand over fist, there is a strong incentive for the company to find new ways to bring in cash and secure ChatGPT’s long-term future. In this instance, it seems that ads are one way OpenAI is hoping to do that. We’ll have to see how much of an impact that has on the overall ChatGPT experience and whether users are suitably put off to go looking for alternatives on a large scale.
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