Ever since OpenAI launched ChatGPT, the free tier has always been, well, free. There were limitations compared to the paid model, but otherwise it was free. However, that will change soon. In an announcement on its blog, OpenAI confirmed that ads are coming to ChatGPT soon .
Ads are coming to ChatGPT
For starters, OpenAI says that they aren’t introducing ads just yet. There are plans to eventually do so, but not right now. Also, it will be initially limited to users in the US. For our readers in other countries, you can rest easy for now. Now, given how intimate we get with AI, some of you are rightfully wondering about privacy .
Internet ads are generally quite invasive in the sense that it uses your browsing data to show ads it thinks are relevant to you. Does this mean that all your private conversations with ChatGPT will be used against you? According to OpenAI, no.
The company says that your data and conversations are protected and will never be sold to advertisers. They also plan to let users control whether they want to see personalized ads or not. Lastly, OpenAI says it wants the ads to be “objectively useful.” Whether that will actually be the case remains to be seen. In the meantime, color us skeptical.
Ads make sense
The unfortunate reality is that ads make sense. As much as we would like to believe that paid subscriptions are what’s keeping the lights on at OpenAI, the reality is much harsher. A lot of AI companies are actually losing money , despite the fact that it charges for subscriptions.
This is because the hardware and resources to run and maintain its servers are extremely high. Companies like OpenAI are expected to spend as much as $1 trillion between 2025 to 2035. If you think that subscriptions are enough to cover those expenses, think again. Ads are a great way to generate revenue. This is because as more users are turning to AI models for search, advertisers need a new way to reach them.
So far, OpenAI could very well be the first to launch ads for its free tier. We suppose depending on how successful it is, don’t be surprised if other companies follow suit.
