ChatGPT users in the United States could see ads woven into one of the platform's most popular tools for image generation when OpenAI begins testing the format.
The move expands OpenAI's push into ad-supported artificial intelligence, but the company left major questions unanswered, including where those ads will appear, how they will be selected, and whether ChatGPT will generate them.
Here's what to know
Per The Register, OpenAI plans to introduce the "visual ad format" during image generation in ChatGPT. The company said the format is intended to help people discover brands through images showing "product inspiration, product usage, or the experiences they make possible."
OpenAI has not said when those ads will appear — while an image is being generated, after the image is complete, or somewhere else in that workflow.
It likewise has not said whether the ads will be created on the spot by ChatGPT or drawn from materials provided by advertisers, and it has not shared details on how the ads will be targeted.
Billo CEO Donatas Smailys questioned how effective the format would be for advertisers. "Search ads work because they meet people at the moment they're looking for something," he told The Register in an email. "Someone generating an image in ChatGPT is not shopping."
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More background
This is not the first time OpenAI has introduced ads into ChatGPT. It introduced text-based ads, and the shift into image generation indicates the company is expanding the places where commercial content appears with the chatbot.
According to The Register, free users can turn off ads, but doing so will also disable tools such as image generation. To use image generation without ads, users would need ChatGPT Plus, which starts at $20 per month.
What can be done?
People using the free version of ChatGPT can keep access to image generation and accept ads or opt out and lose that tool along with other features tied to the ad-supported experience.
The other workaround is paying for ChatGPT Plus.
OpenAI said it would provide additional details only after testing begins, so questions about placement, targeting, and creative format may be unresolved until users actually encounter the ads.
"Through images showing product inspiration, product usage, or the experiences they make possible, people can discover a new brand, understand what makes an offering distinctive, and decide what to buy," OpenAI said, per The Register. "For advertisers, this creates new opportunities to tell their story through images."
Where can I learn more?
The planned ad test comes as AI companies face scrutiny over their chatbots.
• OpenAI drew backlash after controversial changes to ChatGPT appeared to give brands preferential treatment.
• Google Gemini users complained when an intrusive ad showed up.
• OpenAI sparked outrage when its new AI video app expanded Sora's reach to creators.
• Google faced criticism after an advertisement promoting AI encouraged using Gemini for personal letters.
• In New York, OpenAI faced a subpoena over safety, data handling, and user harm claims.
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