March 26 (GeokHub) – OpenAI’s ChatGPT advertising pilot in the United States has exceeded $100 million in annualized revenue just six weeks after launch, signaling strong early demand for the AI company’s emerging ad business.
The program, introduced in January for free-tier and lower-priced Go plan users, aims to generate revenue to fund ChatGPT’s ongoing development costs, which include high-performance AI computing and research. OpenAI emphasized that ads do not influence the AI’s responses, and user conversations are not shared with advertisers.
“Approximately 85% of users are eligible to see ads, though fewer than 20% encounter them daily,” a company spokesperson said. “We are seeing no impact on consumer trust metrics, low ad dismissal rates, and ongoing improvements in relevance based on feedback.”
OpenAI has already partnered with over 600 advertisers, nearly 80% of which are small- and medium-sized businesses showing interest in the platform. Self-serve advertising tools are expected to launch in April to expand access and further drive revenue growth.
The company also plans to extend the pilot to additional countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. David Dugan, a former Meta ads executive, was recently appointed to lead OpenAI’s global advertising solutions team.
Industry analysts note that ChatGPT ads could unlock a significant new revenue stream from millions of users. However, they caution that some users might react negatively, potentially affecting trust in the product if the rollout is not carefully managed.
