Building advertising for the way people use AI

Why it matters

OpenAI is introducing a visual ad format inside ChatGPT, testing it first during image generation with a limited set of advertisers in the United States. The company says the ads will be clearly labeled, kept separate from the generated image, and will not shape ChatGPT's answers. The announcement frames advertising as a way to fund broad access to AI beyond subscriptions, positioning ChatGPT as a large consumer platform where people explore products and make decisions. Alongside the format, OpenAI is broadening its measurement ecosystem: integrations with Hightouch, Tealium, and LiveRamp let advertisers send conversion data from their existing systems, while a wide roster of attribution and incrementality partners supports reporting and causal testing. On the trust side, placement guardrails aim to keep ads out of sensitive or emotionally vulnerable conversations, and brand suitability evaluation pilots with DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science will let independent partners assess safeguards without accessing private user conversations. The move signals OpenAI's deeper commitment to advertising as a business line.