Earlier this month, OpenAI confirmed something that many fellow experts in the paid media space have long since expected - paid ads are officially being tested inside ChatGPT.
As of January 16th 2026, ads are being trialled in the US across the Free tier and the Go plan of ChatGPT, which currently costs $8 per month. There is no confirmed date for the UK rollout of these ads, but given the speed at which OpenAI rolls out updates, it feels more like a question of when rather than if. It won’t be long.
As someone who works in PPC every day for brands across many sectors and industries, this is a genuinely huge moment in paid media. Not just because it opens up another potential advertising platform, but because of how ChatGPT has positioned itself so far and the trust it has built with users.
OpenAI has been quite clear about a few key points, and I think these details matter.
First and most importantly, paid ads will not influence the answers ChatGPT gives. Responses will still be generated independently and ads will be clearly separated and labelled as ads. In other words, users will not be asking a question and secretly getting a paid-for answer without knowing it. This clear distinction between paid responses and genuine responses is essential if OpenAI is to maintain the trust users currently have in ChatGPT.
They have also been keen to stress that conversations and user data will not be sold to advertisers. That is another big reassurance and a necessary one - especially at a time when people are becoming more aware of how their data is used online.
Another important point is that ads will only appear on free and lower cost plans. Users who want a fully ad free experience will still be able to get that through paid subscriptions.
OpenAI has also said something that really stood out to me. They are not optimising ChatGPT for time spent on the platform. This means they are not trying to build an attention based algorithm like we see on Meta platforms, where the goal is to keep you scrolling for as long as possible. Instead, they are positioning ads as something that sits alongside the experience, not something that reshapes it. This is another way that OpenAI are focussing on maintaining user trust while further monetising their platform.
Finally, it’s important to remember that ad formats are still being tested and refined. OpenAI has said they will iterate based on early results and user feedback over the coming weeks and months. In other words, the ad formats that are currently being seen in trials may not be what we see when the rollout comes to the UK.
From an advertiser’s point of view, the numbers alone make this hard to ignore.
ChatGPT has grown from around one million users at launch to over 800 million active users. Estimates suggest that growth is far from slowing down. Around 95% of those users are currently on the free tier, which is exactly where ads will be shown. You don’t need me to tell you that 95% of 800 million is a huge audience!
Perhaps more importantly though, it is a trusting audience. ChatGPT has built its reputation by giving relevant, useful answers without trying to sell something at every opportunity. That trust is incredibly valuable to advertisers. People actively choose to ask ChatGPT questions in the same way they use Google, and in some cases instead of Google.
On top of that, ChatGPT is estimated to hold around 60-62% of the generative AI market. When you combine market share, rapid user growth and a high level of trust, you start to see why this could become a major advertising platform for businesses of all sizes.
If OpenAI gets this right, ChatGPT could sit alongside Google and Meta as one of the core places advertisers invest their budgets in 2026 and beyond.
While everything I have said so far points to ChatGPT ads being a huge success, there is also a potential downside and it is worth being honest about it.
A big reason people trust ChatGPT in the first place is because currently it does not feel commercial - especially compared to Google and Meta. Users understand that answers are based on huge datasets of text and code, not on who has paid the most money to be there. Introducing ads risks changing that perception, even if the ads are clearly labelled and separated.
If users start to feel that commercial influence is creeping into answers, even indirectly, that trust could be damaged quickly. Once that trust begins to diminish, it is very hard to get it back.
This is the balance OpenAI has to get right. They’re walking a tightrope. Of course it makes sense to monetise such a massive platform, but the moment ads start to feel intrusive, irrelevant, or manipulative, the entire value of the platform for both users and advertisers is at risk.
From where I sit, this is one of the most interesting developments in paid media in years.
If OpenAI sticks to what they have promised - relevant ads, clear separation from answers and user experience first - then this could open up a completely new way for brands to reach people at the exact moment they are searching for information.
If it drifts towards attention grabbing formats or subtle influence on responses, then users will push back and advertisers will feel the impact very quickly.
For now, this is one to watch closely. As testing continues in the US, we in the Paid Media team at The Digital Maze will be paying close attention to how ads are presented, how users respond and what opportunities this could create for UK advertisers when it eventually lands here.
When it does, it will not just be another ad platform. It will be a shift in how advertising fits into AI driven experiences, and that is something the entire industry needs to think carefully about.
If you want to learn more about any form of paid media advertising, including the new ChatGPT ads, feel free to reach out to us today.
Emlyn is a PPC Team Lead with over 7 years of experience in PPC. Having worked both in-house and agency-side, he brings a well-rounded understanding of what clients really need and how to deliver it. At The Digital Maze, he leads a talented PPC team, shaping strategy and driving performance across a wide range of clients.
Based in Stoke-on-Trent, Emlyn is a father of three and a big sports fan, often watching football or basketball. He also enjoys gaming and reading when he gets the chance.
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