OpenAI’s ChatGPT Ads reaches a $1 billion annualized run rate
OpenAI says ChatGPT Ads has reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate less than 200 days after launch. The advertising platform is used by tens of thousands of advertisers, and self-service buying through Ads Manager is beginning across India, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
ChatGPT Ads is now available in more than 40 countries through the OpenAI Ads Solutions team as well as agency and technology partners. The rollout follows ChatGPT advertising expansion across European markets as self-service access extends to advertisers across the wider European region and other markets.
Advertising becomes a larger OpenAI business line
OpenAI positions advertising as one part of a diversified model that also includes consumer subscriptions, enterprise products and usage-based APIs. The company says these routes provide different ways to access its products, including an ad-supported free tier for ChatGPT’s more than 1 billion weekly active users.
The company describes ChatGPT as a setting where people investigate needs, compare alternatives and make decisions, from choosing business software to planning renovations or pursuing jobs. Its ad system uses the context of the current conversation to select a relevant advertisement. Depending on a user’s country and settings, it can also use context from the person’s broader ChatGPT experience.
Trust controls and campaign infrastructure
OpenAI says ads are clearly labelled and separated from ChatGPT responses, and that advertising does not affect the answers the product gives. Advertisers do not receive access to private conversations, while users can control whether their ad experience is personalised. The company says its trust, relevance and overall-experience measures have remained strong during the global rollout.
The platform began through managed sales, agencies and partners, then expanded to more than 50 technology and measurement partners. Ads Manager, introduced in May, opened access to small and medium-sized businesses, which OpenAI says now account for a material share of the business.
Measurement tools broaden the offer
OpenAI says cost-per-click and outcome-optimised bidding account for the majority of campaigns. Pixel and Conversions API are central to measurement and optimisation, while product feeds, platform and geographic targeting, and custom audiences are intended to help advertisers reach relevant customers.
The company cited an ecommerce advertiser that achieved a 3x return on ad spend over 28 days and a technology partner reporting that more than 80% of ad-driven ChatGPT traffic came from new customers. OpenAI plans further markets, formats, objectives, buying options and measurement capabilities, alongside new ways for businesses to interact with consumers within ChatGPT.
For businesses considering the channel, the practical implication is to evaluate whether ChatGPT conversations align with their customer decision process and to use conversion measurement, bidding controls and personalisation choices before expanding spend.