OpenAI Expands ChatGPT Ads to 26 More Countries, Bringing Availability to 89 Markets

OpenAI is bringing ads to ChatGPT in 26 more countries. This will bring the total number of countries with ChatGPT ads to 89, the company announced on October 21. Ads appear only on the Free and Go plans. Plus, Pro and Enterprise subscriptions will continue to have no ads. OpenAI says more than 100,000 advertisers have run ads in ChatGPT since the ads first launched a little over eight months ago.

Where ChatGPT Ads Are Launching

This expansion comes after ads were introduced in Mexico and Brazil and more recently launched in parts of Europe, Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Latin America has the largest share of the new markets, with 14 additional countries, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru. The other new markets are in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The announcement names Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

OpenAI says this launch gives local businesses, regional brands and international companies a chance to advertise. L'Oréal, which tested the ads early, said in the announcement that people now use ChatGPT to discover and explore beauty products.

Businesses in these countries can buy ChatGPT ads through technology partners or use OpenAI's Ads Manager to buy them directly. OpenAI says more than 1.2 billion people use ChatGPT each week. The company presents advertising as a way to pay for free and low-cost access to the chatbot.

What Changes for Free and Go Users

People in the new markets may now see ads alongside their conversations if they use either of the two lowest-cost plans. OpenAI gives the example of someone planning meals for the week before their first marathon. That person might see an ad for a grocery delivery service related to the conversation.

The company says its ChatGPT ads follow these rules:

• Advertisers cannot see users' private conversations.
• OpenAI does not sell customer data.
• Ads are clearly marked and kept separate from ChatGPT's answers.
• Ads do not affect the answers ChatGPT gives.

According to the announcement, users can avoid ads by subscribing to Plus, Pro or Enterprise, which will remain ad-free. Free and Go users in the newly added countries should expect to see ads mainly when they shop, compare products or plan things. OpenAI describes these as situations where people are still considering their choices before deciding what to buy.

This expansion also grows OpenAI's advertising business beyond the countries where it first tested ads. The company says its next stage of growth will bring more ad formats, campaign goals, ways to buy ads and tools to measure their results. OpenAI is also exploring ways for businesses to connect with consumers more naturally within ChatGPT.

OpenAI has not said when these new ad formats will arrive. The announcement also names only some of the 26 new countries, not the complete list.