OpenAI prepares to bring ads to ChatGPT for free users as major overhaul begins

OpenAI

OpenAI seems to be getting ready for a major change in the way people use ChatGPT. New findings suggest that the company is planning to introduce advertisements inside the chatbot, most likely for users who use the free version.

The first hints appeared when engineer Tibor Blaho spotted references to ads inside the code of the ChatGPT Android app. The app contains strings that mention search ads, a search ad carousel and an ad API. These references are tucked away in the background for now, but they strongly suggest that OpenAI is actively building an advertising system into ChatGPT. Even though these clues were found in the Android version, the update will almost certainly extend to ChatGPT on iOS, Mac and the web.

The repeated mention of the word search raises an important possibility. Ads might only appear when users ask ChatGPT to look up something on the web or research products while shopping. If that is the case, the ad experience may feel more like what we already see on Google or Amazon searches. For now, nothing is confirmed, but the direction is clear.

OpenAI currently offers several paid plans. The Plus plan starts at 20 dollars per month and the Pro plan goes up to 200 dollars per month. There are also business and education plans with their own pricing. In some countries, OpenAI provides an affordable Go plan, which has fewer features. This plan could eventually be offered in more markets once ads arrive, giving users a cheaper option that is supported by advertising.

Rumours about a rise in ChatGPT pricing have been circulating for months. If OpenAI introduces an ad supported tier, it might also use this moment to adjust the prices of its existing plans. The company has already been changing its tone around advertising. A year ago, CEO Sam Altman described ads as a last resort. That statement no longer seems to hold. Leaked internal forecasts earlier this year mentioned one billion dollars in revenue from free user monetization by 2026. Altman has also said recently that he enjoys well targeted ads on platforms like Instagram and believes OpenAI can design ads that are helpful instead of annoying.

If ads do come to ChatGPT, it will mark a major shift in how the service works for free users. It could make the chatbot more accessible, but it will also bring a new kind of experience inside conversations that until now have been completely ad free.