OpenAI launches visual ads that appear alongside image generation results

Now, the plan is to woo online advertisers who want to appeal to their potential customers by using more visual imagery to tell their stories. Eventually, those ads will allow them to target ChatGPT’s 1.2 billion weekly users, once they roll out globally.

However, integrating such ads could also prove disruptive to the user experience. But perhaps that’s partly the point, as the ads could push more casual users to pay for a subscription in order to avoid them.

Alongside the display ads, OpenAI said it is expanding its measurement tools and partner ecosystem, which now includes click attribution solutions, AppsFlyer, Triple Whale, Adjust, DV Rockerbox, Northbeam, Branch, Singular, Kochava, Airbridge and Tenjin, as well as full-funnel, advanced measurement partners, Fospha, Measured and INCRMNTAL.

OpenAI has also partnered with Haus, Measured and WorkMagic to help advertisers explore “geo-based” experiments around ads.

The company said it’s working on developing brand suitability evaluation pilots with help from DoubleVerify (DV) and Integral Ad Science (IAS), which will help advertisers better understand the ChatGPT ads environment.

Combined, the moves see OpenAI working to make ChatGPT a viable ad-supported business for those on free and low-cost plans.