OpenAI to test visual ads alongside ChatGPT image generation
By Automate Basics, written with AI from The Verge's original
OpenAI plans to test visual ads when people generate images in ChatGPT in the US later in October. The sponsored images will appear separately from the images users create, and subscribers to Plus, Pro and Enterprise will not see ads.
What changed
OpenAI plans to test a new kind of ChatGPT ad that shows images of sponsored products and services, according to The Verge. The US test is due to begin later in October. At first, the visual ads will appear when someone generates an image in ChatGPT.
The Verge reports that ChatGPT’s earlier ads showed a company name, logo and link beneath a chat. OpenAI says the new visual ads will remain separate from the image a user generates and will not affect ChatGPT’s answers. For someone making images for work, the distinction matters: a sponsored product image on the screen is not meant to be part of the image they requested.
Who can use ChatGPT without these ads?
ChatGPT users in the US may encounter the visual ads during the test when they generate images. OpenAI says subscribers to ChatGPT Plus, Pro and Enterprise will not see ads. The source does not say which other plans or users will be included in the test, or give subscription prices.
OpenAI says it is starting with a limited group of advertisers. The company also says it has rules intended to keep ads out of conversations involving sensitive or emotionally vulnerable subjects. Those are OpenAI’s stated plans, not a guarantee about every conversation. The Verge reports that OpenAI expects to try other ad formats later, but gives no details about what those formats might be.
How do I try image generation at work during the test?
A draft image for a presentation or campaign concept is a sensible task to try if visual ads appear in your ChatGPT session. Compare the generated image with the separate sponsored image before you share or reuse anything. Check that the image you intend to use contains the objects and details you requested, rather than assuming every image shown on the screen is part of your result.
OpenAI says the ads will not influence ChatGPT’s answers, but the announcement does not provide a way for a user to verify that claim. If you use ChatGPT for work, continue to review generated material against your brief. The source gives no special steps or controls for trying the ad format.
Frequently asked questions
Will visual ads become part of images I generate in ChatGPT?
OpenAI says the sponsored images will appear separately from the images ChatGPT generates. When reviewing a work image, distinguish the requested result from any sponsored product or service shown elsewhere on the screen. The US test is expected to start later in October.
Which ChatGPT subscribers will see the new visual ads?
OpenAI says subscribers to ChatGPT Plus, Pro and Enterprise will not see ads. The Verge reports that the visual format will initially appear during image generation in a US test. The source does not identify every other plan included in that test or state subscription prices.
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Written with AI from The Verge's original and published after automatic checks: every figure here appears in the original, and no sentence is copied from it. The picture is AI-generated. The original is the authority.
Source: OpenAI is sticking more ads in ChatGPT, The Verge, 5 Oct 2026.