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ChatGPT to start showing ads in free version
On January 16, 2026, OpenAI announced that ads would be introduced in ChatGPT’s free version for adult, logged-in users in the U.S.
An $8-per-month “Go” version will also be introduced with upgraded capabilities like longer memory and more image creation opportunities. “Go” subscribers will get ads as well, while Plus, Pro, and OpenAI’s business customers won’t.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, was previously reluctant to introduce ads in ChatGPT. The change comes as the company is in need of bringing in more revenue from its users to afford the $1.4 trillion it plans to spend on AI infrastructure during the coming eight years.
There are concerns that ChatGPT ads could be controversial, as information from people’s conversations could enable very targeted advertising. During the testing phase, ads will be shown at the bottom of ChatGPT’s answers and will be labeled as “sponsored”. OpenAI additionally assured that ads won’t influence ChatGPT’s answers.
OpenAI stated:
“Users need to trust that ChatGPT’s responses are driven by what’s objectively useful. Given what AI can do, we’re excited to develop new experiences over time that people find more helpful and relevant than any other ads. Soon you might see an ad and be able to directly ask the questions you need to make a purchase decision.”
User data and conversations will not be sold to advertisers, as announced by OpenAI. Moreover, users will be able to turn off ad personalization.
The European Commission has launched an investigation to uncover whether Google has breached competition rules by using other publishers’ YouTube content for AI purposes.
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