ChatGPT Tests Ads: Free Users and New $8 'Go' Plan Get Banner Surprises!

OpenAI, the company behind the well-known AI chatbot ChatGPT, has announced that it will soon begin displaying advertisements to some users. This change will first be tested in the United States and will affect people who use ChatGPT for free, as well as those who subscribe to a new, more affordable plan called ChatGPT Go. The new Go plan will be available to users around the world and will cost eight dollars a month, or the same amount in other currencies. According to OpenAI, the ads will appear after users enter a prompt. For example, if someone asks ChatGPT for travel tips about Mexico, they might see an advertisement for vacation packages. The ads will look like banners at the top of the screen.

OpenAI has made it clear that these ads will not affect the answers ChatGPT gives. The company also says it will not share any information from users’ conversations with advertisers. OpenAI explained that it is trying out ads so that more people can use ChatGPT without running into too many limits. However, there is growing talk that the AI industry might be overvalued, with lots of excitement from investors but not much profit yet. Some experts believe that this excitement could fade if companies do not start making more money. Henry Ajder, an expert in AI and digital media, said that it is not surprising OpenAI is looking for new ways to earn money. He pointed out that OpenAI has gained millions of users but is still losing money, so it needs to find more reliable sources of income. For many tech companies, advertising is a dependable way to make money.

The Financial Times reported that OpenAI lost about eight billion dollars in the first half of 2025, and only five percent of ChatGPT’s eight hundred million users pay for a subscription. Besides the new Go plan, OpenAI already offers Plus and Pro plans, which cost twenty and two hundred dollars a month in the United States. ChatGPT Go was first launched in India in 2025 and is now being offered in other countries. OpenAI started as a non-profit but has become more focused on making money. Advertising has supported the internet economy for over twenty years. Other AI companies are also considering ads, even though OpenAI’s leader Sam Altman once said he did not like them. In 2025, the AI company Perplexity hired someone to lead its advertising efforts, but he left after nine months. Google, which has its own AI tool called Gemini, says it is not planning to add ads yet. Even though ads are not always popular, they help companies earn money and keep their services running. OpenAI hopes that by adding ads, it can let more people use ChatGPT with fewer restrictions.