{"id":27593,"date":"2026-01-16T20:34:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T20:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/openai-to-begin-testing-ads-on-chatgpt-paid-tiers-to-stay-ad-free-tech-news\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T20:34:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T20:34:53","slug":"openai-to-begin-testing-ads-on-chatgpt-paid-tiers-to-stay-ad-free-tech-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/openai-to-begin-testing-ads-on-chatgpt-paid-tiers-to-stay-ad-free-tech-news\/","title":{"rendered":"OpenAI To Begin Testing Ads On ChatGPT, Paid Tiers To Stay Ad-Free | Tech News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"story-9837932\">\n<p><span class=\"jsx-395e0e0beb19cb6e jsx-3759419209\">Last Updated:<\/span><time class=\"jsx-395e0e0beb19cb6e jsx-3759419209\">January 17, 2026, 01:32 IST<\/time><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"asubttl-9837932\" class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-2184938565 asubttl-schema\">OpenAI said ads will be tested on ChatGPT\u2019s free and Go tiers in the US, while paid subscriptions will remain ad-free.<\/h2>\n<div id=\"artshare\" class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 artshare\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 stickdiv\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 deskwrapstkdiv\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 fontchange\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/font.svg\" height=\"30px\" width=\"30px\" alt=\"font\" title=\"font\" class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 lazyload\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 artsharwrp\"><a href=\"https:\/\/web.whatsapp.com\/send?text=OpenAI%20To%20Begin%20Testing%20Ads%20On%20ChatGPT%2C%20Paid%20Tiers%20To%20Stay%20Ad-Free - %0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.news18.com\/tech\/openai-to-begin-testing-ads-on-chatgpt-paid-tiers-to-stay-ad-free-ws-kl-9837932.html%3Futm_source%3Dwhatsapp%26utm_medium%3Dsocial_share%26utm_campaign%3Dnw18english%0D%0A %0D%0A Get the latest news anytime, anywhere. Install News18 app for free! %0D%0Ahttps:\/\/onelink.to\/website-share-eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 sclrnd wapp social_share\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 notifycnt social_share\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/new_share_icon.svg\" alt=\"new share icon\" title=\"new share icon\" width=\"8\" height=\"9\" class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 social_share\"\/><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/new_whatsapp_icon.svg\" alt=\"new whatsapp icon\" title=\"new whatsapp icon\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 social_share\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-2184938565\">\n<figure class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-2184938565 amimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Ads will appear separately at the bottom of ChatGPT responses during testing, with controls for personalisation and opt-out, OpenAI said, sharing images of how the feature will appear. (IMAGE: OpenAI)\" title=\"Ads will appear separately at the bottom of ChatGPT responses during testing, with controls for personalisation and opt-out, OpenAI said, sharing images of how the feature will appear. (IMAGE: OpenAI)\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/ibnlive\/uploads\/2021\/07\/1627283897_news18_logo-1200x800.jpg?impolicy=website&amp;width=400&amp;height=225\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-2184938565\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Ads will appear separately at the bottom of ChatGPT responses during testing, with controls for personalisation and opt-out, OpenAI said, sharing images of how the feature will appear. (IMAGE: OpenAI)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"0\" class=\"story_para_0\">OpenAI on Friday announced plans to begin testing advertisements on ChatGPT in the United States in the coming weeks, as it expands access to its AI tools through a low-cost subscription model and seeks to reduce usage limits for free users. <\/p>\n<p id=\"1\" class=\"story_para_1\">The company said it is bringing ChatGPT Go, priced at $8 a month, to the US and to all markets where ChatGPT is available, after launching the tier in 171 countries since August. The plan offers expanded access to messaging, image creation, file uploads and memory. \u201cWe\u2019ve been working to make powerful AI accessible to everyone,&#8221; OpenAI said in a release on its site, adding that access to advanced AI would shape whether it \u201cexpands opportunity or reinforces the same divides&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p id=\"2\" class=\"story_para_2\">OpenAI said advertisements will initially be tested for logged-in adult users on the free and Go tiers in the US. Pro, Business and Enterprise subscriptions will remain ad-free. The company said ads would be introduced so \u201cmore people can benefit from our tools with fewer usage limits or without having to pay&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p id=\"3\" class=\"story_para_3\">Addressing concerns around influence and trust, OpenAI said advertising would not affect how ChatGPT responds to users. \u201cAds do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you,&#8221; the company said, adding that responses would continue to be driven by \u201cwhat\u2019s objectively useful, never by advertising&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p id=\"4\" class=\"story_para_4\">The company also stressed that user conversations and data would not be shared with advertisers. \u201cWe keep your conversations with ChatGPT private from advertisers, and we never sell your data to advertisers,&#8221; OpenAI said, adding that users would have control over ad personalisation and the ability to turn it off or clear associated data. <\/p>\n<p id=\"5\" class=\"story_para_5\">Under the initial plan, ads will appear at the bottom of responses when there is a relevant sponsored product or service linked to the ongoing conversation. OpenAI said the ads would be \u201cclearly labeled and separated from the organic answer&#8221;, and users would be able to dismiss ads or see why a particular ad is being shown. <\/p>\n<p id=\"6\" class=\"story_para_6\">OpenAI said ads would not be shown to users under 18, and would not appear alongside sensitive or regulated topics such as health, mental health or politics. \u201cWe do not optimize for time spent in ChatGPT,&#8221; the company said, adding that it prioritises \u201cuser trust and user experience over revenue&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p id=\"7\" class=\"story_para_7\">The company said it would refine how ads are displayed based on feedback, while maintaining what it described as a \u201chigh bar&#8221; for relevance and quality. It added that advertising would form part of a broader revenue mix, alongside subscriptions and enterprise offerings, aimed at making AI tools accessible to more people over time. <\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-2184938565 atbtlink fp\"><span>First Published:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"rs\">\n<p>January 17, 2026, 01:32 IST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-2184938565 brdcrmb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/\">News<\/a>  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/tech\/\">tech<\/a>  <span class=\"brdout\"> OpenAI To Begin Testing Ads On ChatGPT, Paid Tiers To Stay Ad-Free<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"coral-wrap\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f \">\n<div class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f coral-cont\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f coltoptxt\">Disclaimer: Comments reflect users\u2019 views, not News18\u2019s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/disclaimer\/\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f\">Terms of Use<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/privacy_policy\/\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-2184938565 rmbtn news18_read_more\">Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/tech\/openai-to-begin-testing-ads-on-chatgpt-paid-tiers-to-stay-ad-free-ws-kl-9837932.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Updated:January 17, 2026, 01:32 IST OpenAI said ads will be tested on ChatGPT\u2019s free and Go tiers in the US, while paid subscriptions will remain ad-free. Ads will appear separately at the bottom of ChatGPT responses during testing, with controls for personalisation and opt-out, OpenAI said, sharing images of how the feature will appear&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}