OpenAI is reportedly contemplating the introduction of advertisements to ChatGPT—emphasis on *contemplating*.
In an interview with the *Financial Times* on Monday, OpenAI’s Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar disclosed that the company is investigating the potential of an ad-driven revenue model. Nevertheless, she underscored that any execution would be approached with caution, stating, “we plan to be thoughtful about when and where we implement them.”
Later, Friar further articulated her comments, informing the outlet, “while we’re open to exploring other revenue streams in the future, we have no active plans to pursue advertising.”
This is consistent with OpenAI’s earlier declarations. When the organization launched ChatGPT Search in late October, a spokesperson informed *Mashable* that there were “no plans for ads” in the AI-enhanced search engine.
Regardless, OpenAI has been intensifying its monetization strategies. The company has recently recruited several prominent executives with revenue generation expertise. Shivakumar Venkataraman, who was previously part of Google Search’s advertising team, joined OpenAI as a Vice President in May. In June, Kevin Weil, a former product leader at Instagram and X (previously Twitter), was brought on as Chief Product Officer. Most recently, OpenAI named its inaugural Chief Marketing Officer, Kate Rouch, who had previously managed Coinbase’s Super Bowl advertisements.
These developments coincide with OpenAI encountering increasing financial pressure. The company recently wrapped up a substantial $6 billion funding round, bringing its valuation to $150 billion. According to the *New York Times*, OpenAI anticipates generating $11.6 billion in revenue by 2025, despite currently facing a $2.3 billion loss. To achieve these ambitious objectives, OpenAI will need to markedly enhance its revenue streams. While premium subscriptions to ChatGPT represent one possibility, they may not be adequate to bridge the gap.
Introducing ads to ChatGPT could offer a crucial revenue influx, but it carries risks. Ads might compromise the user experience—a phenomenon often termed “enshittification”—and could drive users away. This could be particularly harmful in a competitive environment where challengers like Anthropic, Perplexity, and Google Gemini are crafting similar AI solutions.
For the time being, OpenAI seems to be carefully evaluating its options. Whether ads will ultimately be incorporated into ChatGPT remains uncertain.