OpenAI is bringing visual ads to ChatGPT.
In a blog post published Monday, the company announced a new image-based ad format. It also announced expanded measurement partnerships for advertisers and pilots meant to show brands how its placement safeguards work. OpenAI said ChatGPT now reaches 1.2 billion people each week, and described advertising as a way to fund broader access to AI beyond what subscriptions alone can support.
The mockups in OpenAI’s announcement show two layouts, both featuring a fictional brand called Heirloom Grocery. In the first, a single banner with a headline sits above a short product description and a “Learn more” button. In the second, a row of scrollable photos replaces the banner. In both versions, the ad carries an “Ad” label and appears beneath a progress indicator for an image ChatGPT is still generating.
That placement reflects how OpenAI plans to roll out the format. The company said it will first test the ads during image generation. It said the ads will be clearly labeled and kept separate from the image being created. OpenAI also repeated its position that advertising does not influence ChatGPT’s answers.
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Credit: OpenAI / Mashable screenshot
OpenAI said its placement guardrails are designed to keep ads out of emotionally vulnerable or sensitive conversations. Qualifying advertisers can now use a feature called Negative Phrases to set their own placement exclusions.
The company is also running brand suitability pilots with DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science. OpenAI said the pilots let these outside firms evaluate its safeguards in a controlled test environment without accessing real user conversations. IAS CEO Lidiane Jones said in the announcement that marketers need brand safety protections that are “durable, consistent, and built to operate at scale.”
Testing begins later this month in the US with an initial group of advertisers.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
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