Product

OpenAI tests visual ads in ChatGPT image generation

Ads will be labeled and kept separate from the generated image, OpenAI says, with a U.S. test starting later this month.

  1. OpenAI — New ChatGPT ads format and measurement (Oct. 5, 2026)
Two OpenAI employees talk and laugh beside a sunlit window in an office.
FILE: OpenAI employees. Photo: Martin Stangel / OpenAI

OpenAI said Monday in a blog post it will test a new visual ad format inside ChatGPT’s image generation, starting later this month in the U.S. with an initial group of advertisers.

What users will see: The ads use images showing product inspiration, product use or the experiences a product makes possible, according to OpenAI’s announcement. OpenAI says the ads will be clearly labeled and remain separate from the image being created, and that advertising does not influence the answers ChatGPT provides. The post does not say which ChatGPT plans will see the ads.

Why OpenAI wants it: ChatGPT reaches 1.2 billion people each week, the company says, and advertising lets it serve a much larger market than subscriptions alone.

For advertisers: OpenAI is adding integrations with Hightouch, Tealium and LiveRamp for sending conversion data, plus attribution partners including AppsFlyer, Adjust and Triple Whale. It says it is piloting brand-suitability evaluations with DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science that assess its safeguards without accessing private user conversations. OpenAI also cites early partner figures, including DV Rockerbox’s finding that WeightWatchers’ attributed cost per acquisition was 15.3% lower than its blended paid-search benchmark.

What’s next: The U.S. test starts later this month, OpenAI says. Businesses can sign up at ads.openai.com, the post says.

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— Rowan Keel

Edition Oct. 5, 2026 · Archive shelf