When I first heard advertisements were coming to ChatGPT, I wasn’t surprised. The platform already has an app store and integrated shopping into the chatbot, so ads seemed inevitable.
As someone with my finger on the pulse of AI, it’s clear that OpenAI does things differently. ChatGPT has been riddled with privacy concerns and now with a campaign boycotting it completely, it’s clear the people-pleasing chatbot is riding the struggle bus – CEO Sam Altman even called a “Code Red” this past December to fend off a surging Google. But instead of retreat, OpenAI has narrowed its focus, and this first wave of carefully curated advertisers reveals exactly who OpenAI is betting on for its future.
When I looked closer at the first wave of brands testing advertising inside ChatGPT, something interesting jumped out. It wasn’t what they sell, but who they’re trying to reach and what OpenAI thinks the “ChatGPT user” looks like.
