A persistent discussion both inside and outside the technology sector has centered on how and when OpenAI, currently valued at $500 billion, will become profitable. One reliable path to revenue is through advertising, and in the short term, that appears to be the AI leader's strategy. This week, the company announced it will introduce limited ads to certain ChatGPT users.

In a blog post published Friday, OpenAI stated it will start testing advertisements in the U.S. for its free and Go subscription tiers. The Go tier, priced at $8 per month, launched globally that same day. The company presents this move as a method to support free access while earning income from users not yet prepared to upgrade to a paid plan. For now, the more costly paid tiers—Pro, Plus, Business, and Enterprise—will remain ad-free.

These ads will be placed at the bottom of a conversation and will be tailored to the discussion topic. Users will retain a degree of control: they can dismiss ads, view explanations for why specific ads are shown, and disable personalization, which would prevent targeting. OpenAI has also pledged not to show ads to users it identifies as under 18 years old.

The company emphasizes that ChatGPT will preserve "answer independence," ensuring that advertisements do not affect the chatbot's responses. OpenAI has further committed not to sell user data to advertisers.

This approach could yield a dual benefit. From free and Go tier users, the company can generate substantial advertising revenue. Simultaneously, some users who value the service but dislike ads may be encouraged to subscribe to the higher-priced, ad-free plans, potentially boosting those subscription numbers.

OpenAI also aims to communicate that its foray into advertising serves a greater purpose. In Friday's blog post, the company affirmed that its "pursuit of advertising is always in support of" its mission: ensuring that artificial general intelligence (AGI) "benefits all of humanity."