On Monday, OpenAI announced that it is starting to test ads in the US for users on Free and Go subscription tiers.
The newer Go plan is a cheap $8/month subscription in the US, and it was introduced worldwide in mid-January.
The company said that subscribers to OpenAI's paid plans, including Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education tiers, will not see ads.
OpenAI sought to allay concerns about the impact of advertising on the user experience by stating wa blog entry: “Ads do not influence the responses ChatGPT provides, and your conversations with ChatGPT are private from advertisers. Our goal is for ads to provide broader access to ChatGPT's more powerful features, while preserving the trust people place in ChatGPT for important and personal tasks.”
The move, which the company announced last month, drew mockery in a series of Super Bowl ads that aired Sunday from top rival Anthropic.
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 became very irritated by these jabs, 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. Late 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. OpenAI says advertisers will not have access to user data, only aggregate ad performance information 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.
