Sam Altman says OpenAI is preparing to introduce advertising into ChatGPT as it looks to support growing demand from users who want access to AI tools without a subscription fee.
In a new post on X, Altman says OpenAI is beginning to test ads in ChatGPT’s Free tier and its new Go tier, priced at $8 per month.
Altman says the move is a response to scale rather than a shift in product philosophy, emphasizing that OpenAI sees sustained demand from users unwilling or unable to pay for AI access.
“Here are our principles. Most importantly, we will not accept money to influence the answer ChatGPT gives you, and we keep your conversations private from advertisers. It is clear to us that a lot of people want to use a lot of AI and don’t want to pay, so we are hopeful a business model like this can work. (An example of ads I like are on Instagram, where I’ve found stuff I like that I otherwise never would.”
OpenAI says ads will be introduced gradually and governed by explicit guardrails designed to protect user trust.
“In the coming weeks, we plan to start testing ads in ChatGPT free and Go tiers. We’re sharing our principles early on how we’ll approach ads–guided by putting user trust and transparency first as we work to make AI accessible to everyone… Ads are always separate and clearly labeled. Your conversations are private from advertisers. Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise tiers will not have ads.”
The move signals OpenAI’s attempt to balance mass-market access with mounting infrastructure costs, as usage continues to surge across consumer and enterprise audiences. By introducing ads only at the free and entry-level tiers, OpenAI is positioning advertising as a way to subsidize access without altering paid experiences or compromising how answers are generated.
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