OpenAI will begin testing targeted advertisements in the free and $8/month “Go” tiers of ChatGPT for US users, signaling a shift in strategy as the company looks to strengthen revenue ahead of a potential IPO. While higher-priced enterprise and Pro plans will remain ad-free, ads will now appear at the bottom of certain chatbot responses, beginning with clearly marked sponsored links.
The move reflects broader ambitions to offset AI infrastructure costs, build a more diversified revenue base, and compete with rivals like Google that have also introduced ads into generative interfaces. Executives stressed that ads will not affect response quality or appear in sensitive categories. The experiment arrives as the company scales aggressively, with 800M+ weekly users and $1.4 trillion in projected AI infrastructure commitments.
“As we introduce ads, it’s crucial we preserve what makes ChatGPT valuable in the first place... you need to trust that ChatGPT’s responses are driven by what’s objectively useful, never by advertising.” — Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications, OpenAI
Read more:
OpenAI to Test Targeted Ads in ChatGPT, Stepping Up Revenue Push
SOURCES
Bloomberg, January 2026 - OpenAI to Test Targeted Ads in ChatGPT, Stepping Up Revenue Push
DISCLAIMER
The opinions expressed are those of Henon Financial Technologies Inc. (“Henon”). The information and/or analysis contained in this material have been compiled or arrived at from sources believed to be reliable but Henon does not make any representation as to their accuracy, correctness, usefulness or completeness and does not accept liability for any loss arising from the use hereof or the information and/or analysis contained herein. Henon disclaims any responsibility to update such information. Neither Henon or its affiliates, nor any of their directors, officers or employees shall assume any liability or responsibility for any direct or indirect loss or damage or any other consequence of any person acting or not acting in reliance on the information contained herein.
All overviews and commentary are intended to be general in nature and for current interest. While helpful, these overviews are no substitute for professional tax, investment or legal advice. Clients should seek professional advice for their unique situation. Neither Henon nor any of its affiliates or representatives is providing tax, investment, or legal advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This material was prepared solely for informational purposes, does not constitute an offer or an invitation by or on behalf of Henon to any person to buy or sell any security and is no indication of trading intent in any fund or account managed by Henon. No investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee returns or eliminate risk in any market environment. Unless otherwise specified, all data is sourced from Henon.
The Stylized Henon Design, and Henon Logo are trademarks of Henon Financial Technologies Inc.
