NEW DELHI: OpenAI has started showing ads on ChatGPT in India. The company has rolled out advertising for logged-in adult users on its Free and Go plans, while paid subscriptions including Plus and Pro remain ad-free. Over 50 brands are expected to begin advertising on the platform this week, with WPP and Omnicom among the initial agency partners.From Sept 4, businesses will also get access to a self-serve ChatGPT ads manager, with daily campaign budgets starting at Rs 725, potentially opening the platform to smaller advertisers alongside large brands.An OpenAI spokesperson told TOI that the company expects early advertiser interest across travel, financial services, retail, and health and beauty. “India’s particular opportunity lies in its combination of large enterprises, a sophisticated agency ecosystem, and a long tail of small and medium-sized businesses that can access the platform through self-serve tools,” he said.OpenAI is positioning ChatGPT advertising differently from conventional search ads, arguing that relevance will come from the immediate intent expressed during a conversation rather than keyword bidding or long term advertising profiles.
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According to the company, when a user’s request shows commercial intent, a separate advertising system can determine whether an eligible and relevant ad should appear. The ad will be displayed independently below the organic ChatGPT response and clearly labelled. OpenAI said advertisers will not receive users’ conversation text or profile details. Instead, they will get conventional campaign metrics such as impressions, clicks, click-through rates, conversions and return on investment.OpenAI also plans to support action-based buying models, conversion tools and integration with independent measurement partners.
