ChatGPT Ads Hit $100M Run‑Rate
OpenAI's US ChatGPT ads pilot exceeded a $100 million annualized revenue run rate in just six weeks, with more than 600 advertisers and nearly 80% of SMBs expressing interest — the company plans to expand the pilot to Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The result shows rapid advertiser uptake for AI‑native ad placements outside large-brand budgets. (reuters.com)
OpenAI announced the hire of former Meta advertising executive Dave Dugan as vice president and head of global ad solutions to build out its ad sales and partner relationships. (mediapost.com) Three of the world’s biggest agency networks — WPP, Omnicom and Dentsu — are participating in the ChatGPT ad test program as launch partners. (cnbc.com) Ad-tech firm Criteo said it integrated with OpenAI’s pilot to provide commerce-focused ad capabilities inside ChatGPT Free and Go test placements. (criteo.com) OpenAI’s published test rules state ads will be clearly labeled, will not alter ChatGPT’s answers, and paid tiers including Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education will not be shown ads. (openai.com) The company has said it will add self-serve advertiser tools in April while reporting that roughly 85% of users are eligible to see ads but fewer than 20% encounter them on a given day. (techinasia.com) Ad-industry sources described the rollout as deliberately conservative and said participation required unusually high upfront commitments, and some early partners have reported low click-through rates and measurement issues on initial campaigns. (cnbc.com)
