OpenAI has begun rolling out advertisements on ChatGPT, marking a significant shift in how the company monetises its flagship artificial intelligence product and intensifying debate within the AI industry over the role of ads in conversational platforms.
According to details reported, ads will now be displayed to users on ChatGPT’s free tier and the low-cost “Go” plan. Users on higher-priced subscription plans will not see advertisements, reinforcing a tiered access model in which ad-free experiences are reserved for paying customers.
The move signals OpenAI’s growing focus on sustainable revenue streams as operating costs for large-scale AI systems continue to rise. Running and training advanced models requires substantial computing power, and advertising offers a way to offset those costs while keeping entry-level access free or affordable for millions of users worldwide.
OpenAI has not disclosed the full format or frequency of the ads, but they are expected to appear in ways designed to minimise disruption to user interactions. The company has previously said it intends to maintain a clear separation between ads and AI-generated responses, aiming to avoid the perception that model outputs are influenced by advertisers.
The decision, however, has drawn criticism from rivals, most notably Anthropic, the AI startup behind the Claude chatbot. Anthropic has publicly opposed the introduction of ads into AI assistants, arguing that advertising risks undermining trust, distorting incentives, and compromising the neutrality of AI systems.
Anthropic’s leadership has stressed that AI models should prioritise user interests and factual integrity over commercial considerations. The company has positioned itself as pursuing alternative business models, such as enterprise subscriptions and API services, to avoid reliance on advertising revenue.
The divergence highlights a broader philosophical split emerging in the AI sector. One camp sees ads as a pragmatic and inevitable part of scaling consumer AI products globally, especially for users unwilling or unable to pay subscription fees. The other views advertising as a structural risk that could erode confidence in AI outputs and blur the line between assistance and persuasion.
For OpenAI, the rollout comes amid intensifying competition and scrutiny. As ChatGPT becomes embedded in education, work, and everyday decision-making, how it is funded, and how commercial content is presented, is likely to shape public trust and regulatory attention.
Industry analysts say the introduction of ads could also set a precedent for other consumer-facing AI tools, particularly those operating at massive scale. Whether users accept advertising as the price of free access, or migrate toward ad-free alternatives, may determine how conversational AI evolves in the years ahead.
For now, OpenAI’s message is clear: ads are part of the future for ChatGPT’s lower-cost tiers, even as the debate over their long-term implications for AI integrity and user trust remains far from settled.
