On October 5, 2026, OpenAI announced a visual-ad format planned to appear during ChatGPT image generation, with an initial test in the United States scheduled for later in October with an initial group of advertisers.
How OpenAI says the visual ads will appear
OpenAI says the ads will show product inspiration, product use, or experiences a product or service could enable. The company says each ad will be clearly labeled and kept separate from the image being created. It also says advertising will not influence ChatGPT’s answers.
Conversation suitability and planned evaluation pilots
OpenAI says its placement guardrails assess whether a conversation is suitable for advertising, including whether it is emotionally vulnerable, sensitive, or otherwise unsuitable.
OpenAI is also developing controlled brand-suitability evaluation pilots with DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science. The company says the approach does not give those partners access to private user conversations.
