OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. Reuters-Yonhap
OpenAI is set to expand its nascent advertising program to five new markets, including Korea, the United Kingdom and Japan, as the artificial intelligence (AI) heavyweight seeks to monetize its sprawling free-user base.
The expansion is specifically aimed at adult users on the platform’s "Free" and "Go" subscription tiers. While OpenAI rose to prominence on the promise of an ad-free, utility-driven interface, the shift underscores the mounting pressure on AI developers to offset the staggering computational costs required to maintain their models.
"As businesses show strong interest in connecting with users in dialogue-driven and purpose-led environments, we are expanding the regions where we are testing ChatGPT ads," said Dave Dugan, OpenAI’s vice president of global ad solutions. "We will continue to prioritize user experience and trust, and will operate the ad experience carefully in each region."
To assuage privacy concerns, OpenAI said ads will be clearly labeled and cordoned off from the underlying technology. The company maintained that marketing content will not influence the chatbot’s responses and that advertisers will be barred from accessing individual user transcripts. Instead, brands will receive only anonymized, aggregate data, such as total impressions and click-through rates.
The company is also implementing several guardrails. Ads will be prohibited in conversations regarding sensitive or potentially regulated topics and will not be shown to accounts identified as belonging to minors. Furthermore, the company’s higher-end offerings — including the Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu tiers — will remain ad-free.
Users in the new markets will receive in-product notifications before the ads go live, at which point they will have the option to hide specific promotions or adjust their personalization settings.
The move comes as the AI sector moves toward a "freemium" model long familiar to social media giants. By introducing advertising, OpenAI is betting it can transform ChatGPT from a pure productivity tool into a lucrative marketing platform without alienating the millions of users who have integrated the software into their daily lives.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Source: Korea Times News
