OpenAI starts showing ads to lower-tier ChatGPT users in Korea
Despite calling it a "last resort" in 2024, the company had previously rolled out similar advertisement programs in the United States, Britain and several other countries.
OpenAI on Friday rolled out a pilot ad-supported AI service for ChatGPT users in Korea, a move that signals the platform’s growing focus on generating revenue to fund AI infrastructure investment.
Starting Friday, ads will be displayed to adult users of ChatGPT’s Free plan as well as its Go tier, which costs $8 per month, in Korea. Users subscribed to the higher-tier Plus and Pro plans, as well as Business, Enterprise and Edu users, will not see advertisements.
“Advertising can help expand access to useful AI capabilities in ChatGPT by allowing more people to use the service without bearing additional costs,” said Kim Kyoung-hoon, head of OpenAI Korea.
Advertisements will appear beneath ChatGPT’s responses. For example, if a user asks for a Mexican recipe, an advertisement for a chili pepper condiment could be displayed at the bottom of the conversation.
Although ads are tailored based on a chat's content, they are clearly separated from ChatGPT’s responses and labeled as sponsored content.
Similar advertising pilots have already been rolled out in the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman waves his hand during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on June 17.REUTERS/YONHAP
OpenAI said that it has seen strong interest from companies looking to engage customers in conversational settings shaped by user intent.
Some overseas media described OpenAI’s implementation of advertising in its services as a significant change, especially because OpenAI's head had hinted at refraining from implementing an ad-supported model in the past.
“I kind of think of ads as a last resort for us for a business model,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said during a lecture at Harvard University in May 2024.
OpenAI's embrace of advertising comes amid intensifying competition with Google and Anthropic and growing pressure to build sustainable revenue streams ahead of a potential initial public offering. Observers say the company has ultimately embraced the technology industry’s traditional business model.
The dilemma of monetization, however, remains unresolved.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, left, shakes hands with Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the then-presidential office in central Seoul on Oct. 1, 2025.JOINT PRESS CORPS
An advertising model risks eroding user trust and driving people away from the service.
On Friday, OpenAI outlined three principles for introducing ads: protecting the independence of ChatGPT's responses; safeguarding user privacy; and ensuring users’ control over advertisements.
The company said advertisers cannot influence ChatGPT’s answers and will receive only performance-related information, such as ad view metrics. Users can manage advertising-related data through ChatGPT’s settings.
OpenAI said it plans to closely review user feedback during the pilot phase.
The company intends to gradually expand its advertising service to additional countries while refining the user experience. Safeguards have also been put in place to prevent ads from appearing in conversations involving accounts identified as minors or likely to belong to minors, as well as chats related to sensitive or regulated topics such as health, politics and finance, according to the company.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
