OpenAI is rolling out a self-serve ad platform in the US, giving small and medium businesses the ability to run ads directly on ChatGPT.
Previously, OpenAI's ad pilot required a $50,000 minimum commitment and charged only for impressions. The new Ads Manager beta drops that floor entirely and switches to a cost-per-click model — making it accessible to companies that can't afford a big agency.
Commercial chief Asad Awan insists ads "won't affect ChatGPT's core model outputs" and that the company maintains high privacy standards. The platform includes fresh analytics tools for optimizing campaigns. OpenAI has also struck partnerships with agency giants like WPP and Publicis, as well as ad tech firms Adobe and Criteo.
This is a key move for OpenAI to offset massive infrastructure costs. Reuters reported that OpenAI brought in over $100 million in ad revenue in its first six weeks. Internally, the company is targeting $25 billion in ad revenue this year and a staggering $100 billion by 2030.