OpenAI expands ChatGPT ads pilot globally

OpenAI is rolling out ads in ChatGPT beyond the US, starting with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and soon adding the UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea. The pilot, currently active for US users on Free and Go tiers, shows no impact on consumer trust, low ad dismissal rates, and improving relevance. OpenAI emphasizes that ads won’t influence answers, conversations remain private, and users can opt out or upgrade to ad-free plans. The goal is to fund free and low-cost access to ChatGPT’s powerful features. Ads don’t affect response accuracy, and advertisers can’t access chat data. So far, the experiment is working without alienating users. Why it matters: This move signals OpenAI’s pivot to a sustainable revenue model beyond subscriptions, potentially setting a precedent for how AI assistants balance monetization with user trust globally.