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ChatGPT will start rolling out ads today, per report

Avatar for Ryan Christoffel  | Feb 9 2026 - 7:48 am PT
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ChatGPT users might notice one noteworthy change in the app and web version soon: ads will reportedly start rolling out for select users today.

Ads coming to ChatGPT for free and Go users

Yesterday at the Super Bowl, Anthropic aired its “no ads in AI” commercial that is widely seen as targeting OpenAI.

Just hours later though, it seems OpenAI plans to still move quickly to implement its rollout plans for ads inside ChatGPT.

Ashley Capoot and Kate Rooney write at CNBC:

On Monday, OpenAI will officially begin testing ads within ChatGPT, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named due to confidentiality. Last month the company said the ads will be clearly labeled, appear at the bottom of the chatbot’s answers and will not influence ChatGPT’s responses.

OpenAI says this initial rollout doesn’t constitute an official “launch,” but rather a “test” of ads. So some of the implementation details may change in the weeks and months ahead. However, the presence of ads is unlikely to go away.

Ads in ChatGPT, per the previous announcement, will roll out for both free users and some paid users.

ChatGPT Free and ChatGPT Go users will be the first to see ads. Currently, ChatGPT Plus and Pro users will be exempt from any advertising.

Here are the details OpenAI shared about what to expect from ads:

To start, we plan to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service based on your current conversation. Ads will be clearly labeled and separated from the organic answer. You’ll be able to learn more about why you’re seeing that ad, or dismiss any ad and tell us why. During our test, we will not show ads in accounts where the user tells us or we predict that they are under 18, and ads are not eligible to appear near sensitive or regulated topics like health, mental health or politics.

What do you think of ChatGPT gaining ads? Will you pay for a higher tier to avoid them? Let us know in the comments.

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Avatar for Ryan Christoffel Ryan Christoffel

Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.