OpenAI appears to be quietly testing advertisements inside ChatGPT, marking a major shift in how the AI platform may generate revenue moving forward.
Quick Summary – TLDR:
- New beta code in the ChatGPT Android app reveals references to ad features.
- Users report seeing the first in-chat ads, including irrelevant promotions.
- CEO Sam Altman had previously called ads a “last resort,” but softened his stance.
- The move may be tied to OpenAI’s financial push as it scales up infrastructure.
What Happened?
OpenAI seems to be introducing ads into ChatGPT for the first time. This follows the discovery of ad-related code in a beta version of the ChatGPT Android app and fresh user reports claiming they’ve already encountered live advertisements while chatting with the AI.
Ads are now showing up inside ChatGPT and people are losing it
— ToolFolio (@toolfolio) December 1, 2025
Users are reporting brand mentions in replies, ads on iOS, and even paid accounts seeing placements
The whole timeline is calling it the “google-ification” of OpenAI pic.twitter.com/TGp5JwBAxG
Ads Discovered in Code and Conversations
The first signs of OpenAI’s shift came from computer engineer Tibor Blaho, who found references to ad-related elements in version 1.2025.329 beta of the ChatGPT Android app. These included terms like “ads feature,” “bazaar content,” “search ad,” and “search ads carousel.”
Shortly after, users began posting screenshots of actual ads appearing in their ChatGPT conversations. One user reported receiving a Peloton fitness class promotion while discussing an unrelated podcast. This has raised concerns about the relevance and targeting of these early ad experiments.
Although OpenAI has not officially announced the rollout, these developments strongly suggest the company is conducting controlled experiments with a select group of users.
OpenAI’s Changing Stance on Ads
When ChatGPT launched in November 2022, CEO Sam Altman said ads would only be a “last resort.” He later called the idea of blending ads with AI “uniquely unsettling” during a talk at Harvard Business School.
But Altman’s view seems to have evolved. On OpenAI’s own podcast, he said, “I’m not totally against it… I think ads on Instagram [are] kind of cool.” This new openness aligns with the recent activity spotted in the Android beta and early user reports.
A Financial Push Behind the Scenes
The move toward ads may be driven by financial pressures. OpenAI expects $13 billion in sales from premium ChatGPT subscriptions by 2025, but its operating costs are estimated at $22 billion, largely due to massive investments in chips, data centers, and infrastructure.
A recent report from HSBC Global Investment Research forecasts that OpenAI could remain unprofitable until 2030, despite support from Microsoft and Amazon. It may still need another $207 billion in funding to meet its infrastructure needs.
Advertising could become a critical revenue stream, especially to support the free tier of ChatGPT, which already limits user prompts to manage computing costs.
Shopping Feature and Monetisation Speculation
These ad tests come shortly after OpenAI launched a new Shopping Research tool, which turns ChatGPT into a personal shopping assistant powered by a specialised GPT-5 mini model. At launch, OpenAI stated that the shopping tool was not sponsored, user chats were private, and merchants did not influence rankings.
However, the sudden appearance of both shopping tools and ads has blurred lines around OpenAI’s monetisation strategy, prompting speculation about whether the two features are connected.
SQ Magazine’s Takeaway
I get why some people are concerned. Mixing ads with an AI assistant feels like uncharted territory, especially when those ads start showing up in serious conversations. OpenAI has always positioned ChatGPT as a tool first, not a platform for promotions. But with billions in infrastructure bills and pressure to make money, it was only a matter of time. Personally, I think if ads are coming, they better be relevant, respectful, and optional. And maybe even come with a price cut for paid users.
