OpenAI opens ChatGPT to advertisers: what we already know

OpenAI launched its first ad tests in February 2026 with a limited group of advertisers. In May, it opened the doors more widely — launching a new ad buying tool and announcing that more companies could start competing for placements. This step is hardly surprising: ChatGPT has nearly a billion weekly users and the monetization potential is enormous.

An OpenAI spokesperson told Business Insider that the team is encouraged by early signs that ads can be useful and non-disruptive. According to the spokesperson, advertisers do not have access to private conversations or users' personal data. Still, questions are swirling around the topic — from privacy protection to potential bias in responses.

What the data shows: which types of ads are most common

Analytics firms Profound and Adthena examined tens of thousands of ChatGPT prompts to find out what ads appear in the chatbot and under what circumstances. Their findings provide the first concrete picture of how OpenAI approaches advertising — and so far, it's cautious.

Software companies clearly dominate. According to Profound's data, software companies account for 34% of all ads in ChatGPT. Another 15% goes to tools for creators, designers, and media. Among the top advertisers are companies like HubSpot, which took the number one spot in the platform's top 10 advertiser ranking.

This distribution makes sense — roughly 40% of prompts people submit to ChatGPT are work-related. Users seek help with content creation, programming, or project ideas, and it's in these moments that they see ads for tools that can help them with their work. This isn't a TikTok full of selfie stick ads — ChatGPT has a significantly more professional advertising ecosystem so far.

Travel is teeming with ads, healthcare is taboo

British firm Adthena sent 90,000 prompts to ChatGPT and found that travel is the second strongest category. Travel queries triggered 31 different advertisers, including Expedia, Airbnb, Hilton, and Royal Caribbean. If you ask ChatGPT about a vacation, there's a fairly high chance it will offer you specific accommodation or a flight alongside the answer.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is healthcare. Ashley Fletcher, marketing director at Adthena, stated: "No telemedicine, no prescription drugs, no GLP-1s, no major insurers." This is a fundamental difference compared to Google, where healthcare ads make up a significant portion of revenue. OpenAI is completely avoiding this area for now — likely due to the sensitivity of health data and regulatory risks.

How many ads will you actually see? Very few so far

Good news for users: ads currently appear in only 1–2% of prompts. And even in conversations where an ad does appear, 83% of them have only one. OpenAI is clearly trying to avoid the Google scenario, where the first several results are often paid.

Adthena also found that the type of query plays a role. A "buy X" prompt structure triggered an ad in 15% of cases. "Best X" type queries had ads in 12%, while comparison queries like "X vs Y" had ads in only 8.5%. In other words — the closer you are to a purchasing decision, the more likely you are to see an ad. This is a logical principle used by other platforms as well.

Czech context: what this means for our users

ChatGPT is extremely popular in the Czech Republic — it ranks among the most used AI tools in the country. The free version is fully available in Czech and handles Czech-language conversations at a very good level. The introduction of ads will therefore also affect Czech users, especially those on the free tier.

A crucial question is GDPR and European regulation. OpenAI has already faced complaints from European regulators in the past regarding personal data processing. If the advertising system were to start using conversation context for targeting — even though OpenAI claims it doesn't — it would be a very sensitive matter from the perspective of European law. The EU AI Act also classifies AI systems with potential for manipulation as high-risk. For now, however, OpenAI assures advertisers that they do not have access to conversation data.

In terms of pricing, the solution remains simple: paid ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) and Pro ($200/month) plans are ad-free and will most likely stay that way. For the average Czech user, this means a choice — either tolerate occasional free ads or pay extra for an ad-free experience.

How ChatGPT differs from Google and other platforms

It's not just that ChatGPT shows fewer ads. The way it displays them is fundamentally different from search engines. Google floods you with ads on every commercial query — ChatGPT shows them selectively and more in contexts where they make sense. According to Jasman Singh, chief analyst at startup Profound, advertisers see ChatGPT as "one of the biggest advertising spaces in the history of technology."

Still, OpenAI has years of fine-tuning ahead. Google, Meta, and Amazon spent over a decade refining their advertising systems before they became the biggest money machines in the tech world. ChatGPT is in its infancy in this regard — but with a billion users, it's starting from a position no other advertising product has ever had.

What comes next

OpenAI is treading carefully for now. Ads make up only a small fraction of interactions, healthcare is entirely excluded from advertising, and the team is reportedly closely monitoring user feedback. However, as the rapid progression from February tests to May's opening to more advertisers shows — the pace is accelerating.

For ordinary users, the key takeaways are: paid plans remain ad-free, ads are currently primarily focused on the English-speaking environment, and OpenAI declares that advertisers do not have access to private conversations. Whether this will remain true during a massive expansion of advertising — only time will tell.