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OpenAI Clarifies It Isn’t Testing Ads on ChatGPT Despite User Claims

OpenAI Clarifies It Isn’t Testing Ads on ChatGPT Despite User Claims

OpenAI official claimed that screenshots of users saw on social media was either “not ads or not real”.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 8 December 2025 10:12 IST

OpenAI Clarifies It Isn’t Testing Ads on ChatGPT Despite User Claims

Photo Credit: Reuters

OpenAI first introduced apps on ChatGPT in October

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Highlights

Users reported seeing ads in paid ChatGPT tiers, sparking confusion
OpenAI clarified these were app suggestions, not advertisements
Such suggestions have been disabled while OpenAI improves precision

OpenAI officials have dismissed claims of ads appearing on paid tiers of ChatGPT. The controversy initially stemmed from screenshots shared by users on social media recently, highlighting ads appearing below prompt responses in an unrelated conversation. This happened even if they were enrolled in a paid subscription to the AI chatbot. Following the backlash, an OpenAI official claimed that what screenshots of users saw on social media was either “not ads or not real”.

Ads on ChatGPT

In a post on X, OpenAI's Chief Research Officer Mark Chen wrote that anything that feels like an advertisement within the AI chatbot “needs to be handled with care”. The official admitted that here, the company “fell short”.

The most notable instance of ads appearing on ChatGPT surfaced on December 3, when an X post by user @BenjaminDEKR said that they were researching Windows BitLocker on ChatGPT, but they came across ads. Below the response, the AI chatbot showed an ad about shopping for home and groceries at the US retail store Target, which was unrelated to the conversation.

I'm in ChatGPT (paid Plus subscription), asking about Windows BitLocker

and it's F-ing showing me ADS TO SHOP AT TARGET.

Yeah, screw this. Lose all your users. pic.twitter.com/2Z5AG8pnlJ
— Benjamin De Kraker (@BenjaminDEKR) December 3, 2025

“I'm in ChatGPT (paid Plus subscription), asking about Windows BitLocker, and it's showing me ADS TO SHOP AT TARGET”, the post read. The social media post garnered over half a million views, prompting an initial response from Daniel McAuley, a Data Scientist at OpenAI.

The official clarified that what the user saw was not an ad, but an app integrated into ChatGPT. “We've launched apps from some of our pilot partners since DevDay, including Target, and have been working to make the discovery mechanism for apps more organic inside chatgpt”, the response read.

However, the user responded by claiming that when brands inject themselves into an unrelated chat and encourage users to shop at their store are essentially ads.

Responding to the user, OpenAI's Mark Chen clarified that the company has turned off such suggestions while the model's precision is improved. Further, OpenAI is also said to be incorporating better controls to enable the user to reduce its frequency or turn it off altogether, if they wish to.

In a subsequent X post, Nick Turely, Head of ChatGPT, confirmed that it is not running any live tests for ads, and any screenshots that users may be seeing are either not ads or not real.

I'm seeing lots of confusion about ads rumors in ChatGPT. There are no live tests for ads – any screenshots you've seen are either not real or not ads. If we do pursue ads, we'll take a thoughtful approach. People trust ChatGPT and anything we do will be designed to respect that.
— Nick Turley (@nickaturley) December 6, 2025

“If we do pursue ads, we'll take a thoughtful approach. People trust ChatGPT and anything we do will be designed to respect that,” Turley added.

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Further reading: OpenAI, ChatGPT, ChatGPT ads, AI

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More

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