OpenAI ad pilot draws roughly $100M in marketer spending

OpenAI’s ChatGPT ads pilot passed $100 million in annualized revenue within six weeks of its February 9 U.S. launch. (cnbc.com) (zawya.com) The test started with logged-in adult users on ChatGPT’s free tier and lower-priced Go plan in the United States. OpenAI said the ads sit below answers, are clearly labeled, and do not change the model’s responses. (openai.com 1) (openai.com 2) OpenAI said roughly 85% of eligible U.S. users can receive ads, but fewer than 20% are shown them on a given day. The company also said it was working with more than 600 advertisers by late March. (zawya.com) (cnbc.com) That gap explains why the revenue figure got attention: OpenAI reached the mark while showing ads to a minority of the users who could already see them. The company said it saw no hit to privacy-related trust metrics and low ad-dismissal rates in the early test. (zawya.com) (openai.com) OpenAI framed the ad push as a way to fund free access to ChatGPT, which it says requires heavy infrastructure spending. Its help center says ads are meant to support broader access without changing how ChatGPT works. (openai.com) (help.openai.com) The company has been unusually cautious about how the rollout is discussed in public. Digiday reported that OpenAI sent marketers detailed guidance on how to talk about the pilot and asked for public references to be reviewed. (digiday.com) OpenAI is also leaning on outside ad-tech partners while it builds its own system. Digiday reported that Criteo became the first ad-tech partner in the U.S. pilot, while OpenAI simultaneously hired for monetization infrastructure, design, trust and safety, and ad revenue accounting roles. (digiday.com 1) (digiday.com 2) The rollout has already moved beyond the United States. OpenAI’s release notes said ads began rolling out on April 16 in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada for Free and Go users, while Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education plans remain ad-free. (help.openai.com) The underlying bet is that people use ChatGPT like a decision engine, not just a search box. OpenAI’s advertiser page says businesses can reach users as conversations move from exploration to action. (openai.com) For now, OpenAI has shown marketers that conversational ads can attract spending fast, even before a broad rollout. The next test is whether that early demand holds as the company opens the system to more countries, more buyers, and more users. (cnbc.com) (help.openai.com)