OpenAI will start testing ads for ChatGPT Free and Go tiers in the coming weeks in US

Yesterday, OpenAI officially announced that ChatGPT Go is now available in the US and everywhere ChatGPT is available for $8 USD/month. The company also mentioned that in the coming weeks, it will start testing ads in the US for the free and Go tiers.

In the coming weeks, we plan to start testing ads in ChatGPT free and Go tiers.

We’re sharing our principles early on how we’ll approach ads–guided by putting user trust and transparency first as we work to make AI accessible to everyone.

What matters most:
– Responses in… pic.twitter.com/3UQJsdriYR

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) January 16, 2026

Yes, you read that right, soon you may start seeing ads in ChatGPT. But would this change the way ChatGPT responds to your questions? Will your conversations be shared with advertisers? Here’s all you need to know.

OpenAI to start testing Ads in ChatGPT Free and Go tiers

The company has mentioned the principles that guide its approach to advertising:

• The mission behind this is to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity and to make AI more accessible.
• Ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you. Answers are optimised based on what’s most helpful to you. Ads are always separate and clearly labelled.
• Your conversations with ChatGPT are kept private from advertisers, and your data is not sold to advertisers.
• You control how your data is used. You can turn off personalisation, and you can clear the data used for ads at any time. OpenAI will always offer a way to not see ads in ChatGPT, including a paid tier that’s ad-free.
• OpenAI does not optimise for time spent in ChatGPT.

The company plans to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service based on your current conversation. Ads will be clearly labelled and separated from the organic answer. Users will be able to learn more about why they are seeing that ad, or dismiss any ad and tell the reason behind it.

During the testing, ads will not be shown to accounts where the user mentions, or it appears that they are under 18, and ads are not eligible to appear near sensitive or regulated topics like health, mental health or politics.

Soon, you might see an ad and be able to directly ask the question you need to make a purchase decision. Ads can also be transformative for small businesses and emerging brands trying to compete.

It is said that, based on the users’ feedback, the company will refine how ads show up over time. The first ad format that OpenAI plans to test could look like the image below.

The testing for ads in ChatGPT will start in the coming weeks for logged-in adults in the US on the free and Go tiers. The Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise subscriptions will not include ads.