OpenAI is broadening its advertising experiment, announcing plans to roll out ads within ChatGPT to the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea in the coming weeks. This expansion follows initial tests in the U.S. and further pilots in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The company, which first began testing ads in February 2026 for logged-in adult users on its Free and Go tiers, states that these advertisements are designed to support wider access to AI capabilities without compromising user trust or the independence of ChatGPT's responses. Higher-tier subscription plans like Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education remain ad-free.
Ads and AI Independence
OpenAI asserts that ads will be clearly labeled and visually distinct from ChatGPT's generated content. The system matches advertiser submissions to conversation topics, chat history, and past ad interactions, aiming for relevance. For instance, recipe research might yield ads for meal kits.
Advertisers will only receive aggregated performance data, such as views and clicks, and will not have access to individual chat data, chat history, or personal user details. OpenAI also noted that ads will not appear for users under 18 or near sensitive topics like health or politics, with plans to expand responsibly as safeguards mature.
Monetizing Free Access
The core objective behind the ChatGPT ads pilot is to generate revenue to fund the significant infrastructure and ongoing investment required to keep the popular AI model accessible and fast for its hundreds of millions of users. This revenue is intended to enable continued improvements to ChatGPT's intelligence and capabilities over time.
