ChatGPT ads are coming to free and ChatGPT Go users in the coming weeks. OpenAI announced on January 16, 2026 that it will start testing advertisements at the bottom of ChatGPT responses for users who don’t pay for Plus, Pro, or Business subscriptions. Ads will be clearly labeled and won’t influence ChatGPT’s answers.
Remember when Sam Altman called ads a “last resort” for OpenAI? That was May 2024. Fast forward to today, and the company is rolling out exactly what Altman said he found “uniquely unsettling.”
I’m not surprised and can’t fault OpenAI. I’m honestly surprised it took this long.
Who Gets ChatGPT Ads (And Who Doesn’t)
Here’s the breakdown:
Free users: Ads are coming.
ChatGPT Go ($8/month): Ads are coming. This is the new budget tier OpenAI just launched.
ChatGPT Plus ($20/month): No ads.
Pro, Business, Enterprise: No ads.
The testing starts in the US only, and OpenAI says they won’t show ads to anyone under 18.
What ChatGPT Ads Will Look Like
OpenAI shared examples. If you ask ChatGPT for Mexican restaurant recommendations, you might see a hot sauce ad at the bottom. Ask about travel to Santa Fe, and you might see a vacation rental ad.
The ads appear below ChatGPT’s actual answer, clearly separated and labeled. OpenAI is promising the ads won’t change the answers you get.
Why ChatGPT Ads Are Happening Now
The math stopped working. OpenAI has 800 million users, but only about 5% pay for subscriptions. Meanwhile, the company has committed to $1.4 trillion in infrastructure spending and is projected to lose $8 billion this year alone.
As Altman put it: “It is clear to us that a lot of people want to use a lot of AI and don’t want to pay.”
Advertising lets OpenAI make money from the 760 million free users who were never going to subscribe anyway.
Watch: ChatGPT Ads Explained
OpenAI’s Five Promises About ChatGPT Ads
Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications (and former Instacart CEO), laid out five principles:
1. Ads won’t influence ChatGPT’s answers. The AI gives you its best response regardless of who’s advertising.
2. Your conversations stay private from advertisers. OpenAI won’t sell your chat data.
3. You can turn off personalization and clear your ad data anytime.
4. No ads near sensitive topics like health, mental health, or politics.
5. OpenAI won’t optimize for time spent in the app. They say they’re not trying to make ChatGPT addictive.
Should You Upgrade to Avoid ChatGPT Ads?
If you’re already thinking about using ChatGPT for real work, the $20/month Plus subscription might be worth it just for the ad-free experience. But if you’re a casual user, the ads might not bother you that much.
I’d wait and see how intrusive they actually are before making a decision.
ℹ️ Reality check: Every tech company that introduces ads says they’ll be “different” and “respectful.” History suggests these promises erode over time as revenue pressures mount. Keep your expectations realistic.
The Bottom Line
Free AI was always a temporary state. OpenAI’s costs are astronomical, and the company needs to find ways to monetize users who won’t subscribe. Ads are the obvious solution.
Whether OpenAI can keep its promises about maintaining answer quality and user privacy remains to be seen. But for now, if you’re a free user, expect to start seeing ads in your ChatGPT conversations within the next few weeks.
If you’re new to ChatGPT, check out my Start Here guide to get the most out of it, ads or not.
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