The arrival of ChatGPT advertising: a new advertising arena

OpenAI is taking another step towards monetising its flagship product. According to several reports, the company plans to introduce advertising into ChatGPT by 2026 to diversify its revenue streams. This means that ChatGPT will no longer be just a subscription-based conversational assistant. It could also become a fully-fledged advertising platform.

To prepare for this shift, OpenAI is already laying the technical groundwork for a media buying infrastructure. The goal is clear: to enable advertisers to launch, manage, and measure their campaigns directly within ChatGPT. In other words, the conversational assistant would become a new advertising channel capable of competing with Google Ads or Meta Ads.

ChatGPT advertising: a strategic shift for OpenAI

Until now, OpenAI has relied on a subscription model, avoiding advertising. Sam Altman even claimed that advertisements could distort information. However, the size of the audience is changing the game: advertising in ChatGPT could generate £1 billion by 2026 and £25 billion by 2029.

An advertising agency integrated into ChatGPT

To bring this project to fruition, OpenAI is recruiting a dedicated team called ChatGPT Growth Paid Marketing. The objective is to lay the foundations for an internal advertising agency with:

• advertising campaign management tools,
• real-time data and attribution pipelines,
• experimental frameworks to optimise investments,
• integration with major existing advertising platforms.

The ambition is clear: to make ChatGPT advertising an offering capable of competing with Google Ads, Meta Ads and Amazon Ads.

How advertising in ChatGPT is changing things for brands

The arrival of ChatGPT advertising is not just a new format. It represents a paradigm shift in media strategies.

• Massive, qualified reach: with over 700 million weekly users, ChatGPT joins the ranks of digital giants. But above all, interactions are longer, more contextual and often more intentional than on traditional search engines.
• Conversational, contextualised advertising: inserted into the flow of dialogue, advertising is based on the user's actual query. We are moving from a logic of exposure to a logic of recommendation, where perceived value depends on relevance and intent.
• Simplified and automated media buying: OpenAI is building an advertising network that integrates planning, execution and attribution in real time. Advertisers benefit from fewer intermediaries, faster testing cycles and continuous optimisation of investments.
• A strategic channel in a 360° approach: the integration of ChatGPT advertising will not be done in isolation. This lever will complement the existing ecosystem, with a differentiating value: capturing the user in an active phase of questioning or comparison.

ChatGPT advertising: a revolution to anticipate

Beyond a new media inventory, ChatGPT advertising introduces a novel approach. The assistant could recommend, compare, and sponsor options based on the objectives defined by brands.

Advertisers must now consider two priorities:

• integrate ChatGPT advertising into their media mix,
• quickly test the first formats as soon as they are launched.

Would you like to prepare your brand for the arrival of advertising in ChatGPT and maximise your performance on generative AI engines? Feel free to contact our GEO agency to anticipate these developments and integrate this lever into your digital strategy today.

About Ad's up

Charlotte
Chargée de communication