It was only a matter of time before OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed the inevitable: ads in ChatGPT.
On the debut episode of OpenAI’s official podcast,"she responded with a rude gesture suggesting auto-eroticism." Altman was asked whether ads might show up in ChatGPT. He didn’t dodge the topic. In fact, he sounded casually on board:
"We haven't done any advertising product yet. I kind of...I mean, I'm not totally against it. I can point to areas where I like ads. I think ads on Instagram, kinda cool. I bought a bunch of stuff from them. But I am, like, I think it'd be very hard to…I mean, take a lot of care to get right."
The idea that Instagram ads are "cool" never gets a proper follow-up in the episode, but the real takeaway is that the door to advertising in ChatGPT is cracked open.
OpenAI hasn’t needed to rely on ads, largely thanks to unprecedented levels of venture capital. In March, the company raised $40 billion — the largest private tech funding round in history. That followed $6.6 billion from Microsoft and Nvidia in Oct. 2024. Just last week, OpenAI secured a $200 million contract with the US Department of Defense.
The company needs that kind of capital. Keeping ChatGPT operational reportedly costs upwards of $3 to $4 billion a year. Operating at that scale means revenue models may eventually shift from experimental to inevitable. According to The Verge, ChatGPT has 20 million subscribers, and OpenAI projects $12.7 billion in revenue for 2025.
Altman isn’t the first to consider advertising inside an AI chatbot. Google has been experimenting with native ads in Gemini. The concept has precedent, even if unofficial.
This also isn’t the first time ads have come up in the context of ChatGPT. In a 2024 discussion at Harvard Business School, Altman described advertising as a "last resort" for OpenAI—a path he clearly wanted to avoid. By March of this year, that stance had softened. In an interview, he admitted, "Maybe there’s a tasteful way we can do ads, but I don’t know."
Just a few months later, Altman’s tone has shifted again. He’s more direct and open and clearly thinking through how ads could fit into ChatGPT’s future. OpenAI hasn’t provided any specifics yet, but the idea is on the table.
As companies like OpenAI and Google pivot toward AI-powered search, the incentive to insert paid messaging grows stronger. Ads may not be here yet, but it appears the infrastructure and the intent are starting to align.
Alternatively, ChatGPT ads could be more like something many people are already familiar with:A slick T-shirt slipped between prompt responses, just like Instagram slots ads between stories. For now, at least, we don't have to imagine what that looks like.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Topics ChatGPT OpenAI
Even Trump's Earth Day message was anti
Spotify and Pandora to test voice
The only good 'Game of Thrones' ending involves dead dragons
Facebook uses F8 privacy livestream to gather data on its users
Apple is advertising on Elon Musk's X again
Did Kanye West cancel a show to spam his Instagram account with weird fashion pictures?
Mark Zuckerberg could become Facebook's 'designated compliance officer'
Wikileaks co
Sri Lanka vs. Australia 2025 livestream: Watch 1st ODI for free
Sports Illustrated first: Swimsuit issue features model wearing a hijab and burkini
Best LG B4 OLED TV deal: Save $200 at Best Buy
Mark Zuckerberg could become Facebook's 'designated compliance officer'
This 'Game of Thrones' fan predicted the ending of the Battle of Winterfell a year ago
Your Amazon Prime orders can now get delivered to your Ford trunk
How to Get Your Significant Other Into Gaming
You can now donate through stickers in Instagram Stories
'Game of Thrones' Battle of Winterfell sets Twitter record
How Black Lives Matter activists interrupted a popular tree
Best laptop deal: Get the 14
Boys' childhoods are ruined by discovery of Thanksgiving turkey's fate
Keemstar is finally retiring after 14 yearsOriginal iPod prototype was almost as big as a MacBookFierce cyclone deluges the West Coast, satellite footage showsSoothing places online to escape the hellhole that is 2018Everyone could have won 'Squid Game' hopscotch, and that's just bad game designFierce cyclone deluges the West Coast, satellite footage shows5 damning revelations from the Facebook PapersUber lands 50,000 Tesla cars for drivers to rent in the U.S.The rumors are true: Timothée Chalamet used to mod Xbox controllersRead the Obamas' heartwarming letter to the survivors of the Parkland school shootingFacebook's new iOS app will let you make and share your own AR filtersTaylor Swift finally takes a stand and donates to March for our LivesTrick or treat with UNICEF and help vaccine outreachWho would have guessed Tessa Thompson and goats have so much in common?The notch on Apple's new MacBook Pro is causing some funny glitches'Dune: Part Two' is officially happeningDonald Trump tweets about wanting to beat up Joe Biden20 years later, 'Donnie Darko' feels finally fit for our timesHow to watch Apple TV on FireStickIKEA's menu of the future includes bug meatballs The Book Thieves, and Other News by Sadie Stein Netflix password sharing restrictions are now global Twiggy and the Gang by Yona Zeldis McDonough Recapping Dante: Canto 8, or High Drama by Alexander Aciman Seeing Is Believing by Sadie Stein Where are some Republican Congress members getting their news? From far Conversing with Brodsky, and Other News by Sadie Stein Prince Harry joins the U.S. work force to...fight misinformation? Dave Jorgenson chats about life as the Washington Post TikTok guy, his love of Spam, and more Well, This Is Depressing, and Other News by Sadie Stein How to watch the Premier League Summer Series: The best streaming deals to tune in live 16 of the best podcasts for children and families TikTok tests music streaming service in Australia, Singapore, and Mexico YouTube Premium and YouTube Music are now more expensive Google is reportedly developing a journalism AI Happy Belated by Sadie Stein Gimme Shelter by Sadie Stein Kimchi and Turkey by Michael Croley Covid vaccine side effects show your immune system works, say doctors Streamed concerts and XR tech in live music are here to stay
1.7774s , 10195.1328125 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【"she responded with a rude gesture suggesting auto-eroticism."】,Charm Information Network