OpenAI first presented its advertising capabilities on the ChatGPT platform to companies and agencies at the Cannes Lions, an international advertising and marketing festival. According to the Financial Times, the company plans to turn advertising on ChatGPT into a multi-billion dollar business in the future.
Dave Dugan, who heads OpenAI’s advertising division and previously worked at Meta, said that the company is fully committed to developing the advertising model and that these revenues will support access to information services for a wider audience.
The company began testing ads on ChatGPT in the United States in February 2026. Currently, ads are shown in seven countries and are presented to users after the chatbot’s responses with the “Sponsored” icon. Ads are only visible to free users and subscribers of the $ 8 monthly Go tariff.
OpenAI believes that ads related to travel, retail, health, beauty and financial services are most effective on the platform. The company has forecast to investors that the advertising business could reach $100 billion by 2030. However, some industry representatives are skeptical that this goal will be realized.
