On Monday, OpenAI announced that it is starting to test ads in the U.S. for users on Free and Go subscription tiers.
The newer Go plan is a budget-friendly $8/month subscription in the US, and it was introduced worldwide in mid-January.
Subscribers to OpenAI’s paid plans, including Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education tiers, will not see ads, the company said.
OpenAI sought to allay concerns about the impact of advertising on the user experience by stating wa blog post: “”Ads do not influence ChatGPT’s responses, and your conversations with ChatGPT are private from advertisers. Our goal is for the ads to provide broader access to ChatGPT’s more advanced features, while maintaining the trust people have in ChatGPT for essential and personal tasks.”
In its TV ads, Anthropic poked fun at the idea that some artificial intelligence companies like OpenAI would soon include ads, showing how poorly integrated ads can disrupt consumers’ experiences. This was portrayed on screen by glassy-eyed actors playing AI chatbots, dispensing advice alongside misdirected advertising.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was extremely irritated by the competitors’ attacks, calling the ads “dishonest” and Anthropic an “authoritarian company.”
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Consumers have so far resisted the idea of including ads in AI responses. Delayed last year, OpenAI faced backlash when it tested app suggestions that looked like unwanted ads. Still, the artificial intelligence company needs to generate revenue from its popular chatbot to cover the costs of developing its technology and growing its business.
While this is understandable, critics fear that ads may influence ChatGPT responses. OpenAI denies this in its announcement, saying that ads will be optimized based on “what is most useful to you.” The company says ads will always be clearly marked as sponsored and separated from organic content.
In tests, OpenAI tried to match ads to users based on the topic of their conversations, past chats, and previous interactions with ads. For example, users searching for recipes may see ads for grocery delivery services or meal kits, the company says. According to OpenAI, advertisers will not have access to user data, only aggregate information about ad performance such as impressions and clicks.
Users will also be able to view their ad interaction history and clear it at any time. Additionally, OpenAI says users can reject ads, share opinions, see why they saw an ad, and manage ad personalization settings.
Ads will not be shown to users under 18 or placed near sensitive or regulated topics such as health, politics or mental health.