OpenAI to Test Image-Based Ads Inside ChatGPT's Image Generation

OpenAI is preparing to test a new advertising format that displays images of sponsored products and services inside ChatGPT, according to a report by The Verge. The test is set to begin in the United States later this month.

According to the report, the visual ads will "initially" appear when a user generates images with ChatGPT. That wording suggests the company may extend the format to other parts of the product over time, though no further placements have been confirmed.

What the ads look like

The new format builds on advertising OpenAI first introduced to ChatGPT in February. Until now, those ads have been limited to a company's name, logo, and a link to its product, shown in a "sponsored" section beneath a chat. The visual format adds images of the advertised products and services to the screen.

OpenAI says the visual ads will remain separate from the image a user generates and will not influence the answers ChatGPT provides. The company also says it has guardrails in place to judge when a conversation is "appropriate" for advertising, with the stated aim of keeping ads out of "emotionally vulnerable, sensitive, or otherwise unsuitable contexts."

Who will see them

Subscribers to ChatGPT's Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans will not see the ads, according to the report. That leaves the format aimed at users on free or other tiers, a group that has so far been the target of OpenAI's advertising push.

OpenAI says it is testing visual ads with an "initial group of advertisers" and plans to try additional formats in the future. The company has not indicated how many advertisers are involved, how the ads will be priced, or how performance will be measured.

What remains uncertain

Several important questions are unanswered in the current material. It is not clear how the ads will be targeted, what data will inform placement, or whether users will be able to opt out beyond paying for a subscription. The precise trigger for an ad—whether it appears alongside every image generation or only in some contexts—has not been specified.

There is also no confirmed timeline beyond the initial US test, no indication of which advertisers are participating, and no detail on how OpenAI's guardrails will be evaluated or audited. The phrase "initially" in OpenAI's announcement implies a possible expansion, but the company has not said where else the format might appear.

Why it matters

The move extends OpenAI's effort to build an advertising business around ChatGPT, a product that has largely been subscription-driven. For ordinary users, it means the free experience may increasingly include commercial content alongside generated images. For advertisers, it opens a new visual placement inside a widely used AI tool. For creators and businesses, the practical effects depend on details—targeting, frequency, and measurement—that OpenAI has not yet disclosed.

Given that the test has not yet begun and key operational details are missing, the immediate impact is limited to what OpenAI has announced. The Verge's report, based on OpenAI's Monday announcement, is the source for the confirmed details above.

The clearest confirmed points are these: a new visual ad format is coming to ChatGPT, it will start with image generation, it will be tested in the US later this month, subscribers on Plus, Pro, and Enterprise will not see it, and OpenAI describes the ads as separate from generated images and without influence on ChatGPT's answers. Everything beyond that remains to be seen.