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Photo Credit: An OpenAI mockup of what a lodging ad could look like inside a trip planning exchange with ChatGPT. Courtesy of OpenAI
OpenAI is finally turning on the revenue taps by piloting ads in its free and low-cost tiers. For travel brands, it means ChatGPT is moving from a pure utility to a massive, intent-driven marketing platform.
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OpenAI has crossed the advertising rubicon. The company announced Friday it will begin testing ads for logged-in adult users in the U.S. on both its ChatGPT Free tier and its new Go tier in the coming weeks.
While the premium Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise tiers will remain ad-free, the move signals a significant shift in how the AI maker intends to monetize its vast user base.
OpenAI outlined several transparency guardrails for the news ads to maintain user trust.
Ads will appear at the bottom of responses when relevant products or services match the chat topic, and sponsored placements will be clearly labeled and visually separated from the AI’s core
Curated by Dennis Schaal
Executive Editor
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Tags: ai, artificial intelligence, chatgpt, openai, the prompt
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OpenAI is launching a test of ads within ChatGPT for logged-in adult users in the U.S. on its Free and new Go subscription tiers, representing a major shift in its monetization strategy. While premium tiers remain ad-free, the ads will be transparently labeled and separate from core AI responses, with privacy protections in place. This new model could become a powerful channel for travel brands to target users during trip planning, though it also raises questions about commercial influence, user privacy, and regulatory implications.
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