OpenAI announced the expansion of its ChatGPT ads program to the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea on August 11, 2026. The initiative aims to test how ads can support broader access to ChatGPT while preserving user trust and privacy. Businesses interested in advertising in these markets can sign up for updates at openai.com/advertisers. The company emphasized that ads will not influence ChatGPT's answers and that user conversations remain private from advertisers. The test includes logged-in adult users on the Free and Go subscription tiers, with no ads in Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education tiers.
The ads are designed to align with OpenAI's mission of making AI accessible while maintaining high-quality free and low-cost options. Ads are matched to users' conversations, past chats, and interactions with ads to ensure relevance. For example, users researching recipes may see ads for meal kits or grocery delivery. Advertisers receive only aggregate performance data, and ads are excluded from sensitive topics like health or politics. Users can control ads by dismissing them, sharing feedback, or deleting ad data. OpenAI also plans to expand the program to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in the coming weeks, rolling out the feature thoughtfully in each market.
OpenAI stated that its core principles remain unchanged: ChatGPT's answers remain independent and unbiased, conversations stay private, and users maintain meaningful control over their experience. The company emphasized that ads will not affect the quality or reliability of ChatGPT's responses. The test is part of a broader effort to learn from real-world usage and improve the advertising experience before expanding further. The company also mentioned that it will continue to be deliberate about who joins the advertiser program and build protections against scams and misleading ads.
Source: openai
