OpenAI expands ChatGPT ads to 26 more countries, reaching 89 markets
OpenAI says more than 100,000 advertisers have run campaigns on ChatGPT. The new markets will show ads to Free and Go users, while Plus, Pro and Enterprise remain ad-free.
OpenAI announced on October 21 that it was expanding ChatGPT advertising to 26 more countries, bringing its reported total to 89. The change means users on the Free and Go plans in the new markets will start seeing ads as the company broadens its advertising business. It was not immediately clear whether ads would become available in all 26 countries at once.
Where ChatGPT ads are expanding
The expansion covers 14 additional Latin American countries, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, Reuters reported. Ads had previously launched in Mexico and Brazil. The new markets also include Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Pakistan, extending the service across parts of Africa, Europe and Asia.
Advertisers in the newly added countries can buy access through technology partners or use OpenAI’s Ads Manager for self-service campaigns, according to Reuters. For ChatGPT users, the distinction is by subscription: ads will appear on the Free and Go plans, while Plus, Pro and Enterprise subscriptions will remain ad-free.
How OpenAI says ads work in ChatGPT
OpenAI says the ads are labeled and kept separate from ChatGPT’s responses, and that they do not influence its answers, CNBC reported. Those are the company’s descriptions of how the product works. The expansion takes that advertising model beyond its initial US test, which began in February, according to CNBC.
More than 100,000 advertisers have run campaigns on ChatGPT, OpenAI said. That figure describes advertisers who have used the platform, rather than the number buying ads in the 26 newly added countries. The company has been adding tools for advertisers: Reuters reported that it introduced AI-powered advertising tools in September and began testing business-sponsored agents with selected US advertisers.
The scale of OpenAI’s advertising business
OpenAI said in August that its ads business had reached an annualized revenue run rate of $1 billion. CNBC reported that the figure was up from $100 million in March. An annualized run rate expresses the pace of revenue at a point in time; it is not a statement of revenue earned over a full year. The figures put the geographic expansion in the context of a rapidly growing business line for the company.
OpenAI plans to develop more ad formats, measurement tools and buying options, CNBC reported. The company said it sees an opportunity to reach people as they explore needs, evaluate options and make decisions in ChatGPT. Those plans indicate how it intends to develop the product after the country expansion, though OpenAI gave no timetable for the additional formats.
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Sources and context
- OpenAI expands ChatGPT ads to 26 more countries in bid to boost revenueReuters, republished by Channel NewsAsia
- OpenAI expands ChatGPT Ads to 26 new countries as diversification push acceleratesCNBC
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.