Peter Smith
⬤ ChatGPT users on free and "Go" plans in the United States are now seeing advertisements pop up in their conversations. These ads only show up after ChatGPT finishes giving its regular answer, so the AI's response stays completely unaffected. One example shows someone asking what to make for dinner—they get ChatGPT's normal cooking suggestions first, then see a sponsored recommendation clearly labeled underneath.
⬤ The ads are meant to match what you're asking about while staying visually separate from ChatGPT's actual response. Ask about food, and you might see a sponsored ingredient or meal kit below the answer. The key here is transparency—these ads are clearly marked as sponsored and sit below the response rather than mixed into it, so ChatGPT's thinking process stays independent.
⬤ Right now, this is a U.S.-only feature, though France and other markets might see it later on. The ads are meant to help pay for keeping ChatGPT free for everyone. It's part of a bigger pattern we're seeing across tech—platforms trying to cover their massive operating costs without locking users out entirely.
⬤ This is a significant moment for AI platforms. By keeping ads separate from responses and maintaining a free tier, ChatGPT is testing whether it can stay accessible while actually making money. How this plays out could shape how other AI companies handle monetization down the road, especially as more people rely on these tools daily.
Peter Smith
