Maybe money does not explain everything, but it explains a lot. Goldman Sachs estimates the AI build-out will require roughly $7.6 trillion in capital over the next five years across compute, data centers and power. It’s unlikely that subscriptions alone will cover the bill, which is why ads are coming to AI.
OpenAI started rolling out ads in some ChatGPT tiers this year and forecasts $2.5 billion in ad revenue in 2026 and $100 billion by 2030. At an ad tech event this summer, OpenAI's chief revenue officer Denise Dresser dropped the hedging and said the company is "clearly in the advertising business now."
