OpenAI Lays Groundwork for ChatGPT Advertising in EU

SAN FRANCISCO — OpenAI is building the infrastructure to introduce advertising within ChatGPT in the European Union, according to a Digiday report, in a potential shift in how the company monetizes its flagship AI chatbot.

The move represents the first concrete steps by OpenAI toward an ad-supported business model for ChatGPT, which has relied primarily on subscription revenue since launching its paid tier in early 2023. The company appears to be using the EU market as a testing ground for the advertising framework.

OpenAI, which is headquartered in San Francisco, has not publicly confirmed a timeline for launching ads to ChatGPT’s hundreds of millions of users. The effort is described as foundational — laying technical and business groundwork rather than an imminent product launch.

The EU focus may reflect strategic considerations around regulatory environment. The bloc’s Digital Services Act and AI Act impose specific transparency requirements on algorithmic advertising that could shape how AI-integrated ads are designed and disclosed.

For US stakeholders, the development carries implications. OpenAI’s investors — including Microsoft, which has committed billions to the company — stand to benefit from a diversified revenue model. The advertising push also signals potential competition with Google, Meta and other digital advertising incumbents whose own AI products compete with ChatGPT.

Industry analysts have long speculated that OpenAI would eventually pursue advertising given ChatGPT’s massive user base and the detailed conversational data it processes. The company reportedly reached more than 400 million weekly active users in early 2025.

Any advertising model piloted in Europe would likely inform a subsequent US rollout, following a pattern common among tech companies that test features in smaller markets before domestic deployment.

The timing coincides with OpenAI’s broader push to increase revenue as it faces mounting compute costs and competition from rivals including Anthropic, Google DeepMind and open-source alternatives. The company has been exploring multiple revenue streams, including enterprise licensing and API access, as it works toward profitability.

Privacy advocates and AI ethicists have previously raised concerns about advertising within AI assistants, noting the potential for blurred lines between organic responses and sponsored content. How OpenAI addresses these concerns — particularly under the EU’s stringent digital regulations — will likely set precedents for the industry.