Ads Are Coming to ChatGPT. Here’s How They’ll Work

ChatGPT, the popular AI chatbot, is set to roll out ads in the coming weeks. The move marks a significant shift for one of the world's most widely used AI products.

According to OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, ads will not influence the chatbot's responses and users will be able to opt-out of seeing ads on their free tier. Ads will appear in separate, clearly labeled boxes directly below the chatbot's answer.

The first ads will target logged-in users on ChatGPT's free tier as well as its paid Go tier, which is currently available in India, France, and other countries. The ads will be for products or services that match what a user has asked about, with OpenAI promising to only show relevant and non-intrusive content.

However, the company has also stated that it won't sell user data or expose conversations with ChatGPT to advertisers. Instead, advertisers will see aggregate ad performance metrics such as how many times an ad was shown in ChatGPT or how many users clicked on it.

OpenAI CEO Fidji Simo emphasizes that preserving trust and the user experience is key when introducing ads to ChatGPT. The company acknowledges that there are certain topics, like health or politics, where ads should not appear.

The introduction of ads into ChatGPT has long been expected, given its massive audience - over 800 million weekly active users who never pay for access to the chatbot. OpenAI is in dire need of revenue, having raised $64 billion from investors but generating only a fraction of that last year.

With this move, OpenAI aims to balance user experience with monetization. The company prioritizes "user trust and user experience over revenue" according to Simo. However, the question remains whether ChatGPT's ads can be rolled out without degrading the user experience.

Ugh, come on... ads in chatbots? It's like, I get it, OpenAI needs the cash, but can't they just make some changes to the free tier instead of messing with our precious chatbot vibes? And what's up with only showing relevant content? Like, how are they gonna know that?

And don't even get me started on the data thing... aggregate metrics? Is that a fancy way of saying "we're still gonna sell your data to advertisers"? I mean, I'm all for transparency, but come on...

I guess it's good they're acknowledging some topics are off-limits, like health and politics. That's like, basic human decency, right? But hey, at least the CEO is on board with prioritizing user trust... we'll see how that plays out.

Can't wait to see how this all goes down in practice. Hopefully, it won't be a total disaster

Ugh, so now they're gonna start showing ads on ChatGPT? Like, what's next? They'll start selling our data or something . I mean, I get it, OpenAI needs to make some cash, but can't they just find a way to do that without ruining the whole experience for us users? The fact that they're gonna show ads in separate boxes and only if we opt-out is basically just a lie... everyone's gonna click "opt-in" because who doesn't want free stuff, right? But what about when the ads start influencing the chatbot's responses or something? I'm sure it'll happen eventually. This whole thing just feels like a cash-grab to me .

I'm kinda meh about this . Ads in ChatGPT? It's a big change for such a huge platform . But on one hand, $64 billion from investors is serious cash ! You gotta make that dough somehow... Even if it means tolerating some ads .

I feel like they're trying too hard to balance user trust with revenue goals . What if the ads are super annoying? Do users really want to see product placements in the middle of a convo about their fave TV show? Not me, tbh . OpenAI needs to make sure those ads don't ruin the vibe .

But hey, at least they're being transparent and saying they won't sell user data ! That's a good start ! And if users can opt out, that's some good karma ️. Let's see how it all plays out ...

I think it's a no-brainer . I mean, 800 million weekly active users is a huge audience, but so is McDonald's or Coca-Cola . You gotta make that dough somehow. And let's be real, ChatGPT has been totally free for years, so I'm not expecting to see any major changes to the user experience . The fact that they're gonna show ads in separate boxes and let users opt-out is a huge win . I mean, it's not like we didn't see this coming - after all, Facebook and Twitter have been doing this for ages . And OpenAI's promise to only show relevant and non-intrusive content sounds good on paper . Fingers crossed that they deliver .

I gotta say, I'm a bit skeptical about this move . I mean, I love chatting with ChatGPT just as much as the next person, and now they're gonna be bombarded with ads? It feels like it's gonna change the vibe of the whole thing, you know? I remember when I first started using it, it was all about getting answers to my weird questions without any distractions . Now, it sounds like it might start feeling more like a regular ol' website or something .

I'm glad they're being transparent about not selling user data or exposing conversations, but I'm still worried about the ads themselves. Are they gonna be super annoying? Will they be relevant to what I'm asking for? And what about all those users who don't pay for access - are they just gonna be bombarded with ads because of that? It's a good thing OpenAI is prioritizing user trust and experience, but I hope they get it right .