OpenAI expands ChatGPT ads to Japan and South Korea as monetization strategy accelerates

OpenAI to introduce ads to ChatGPT in Japan

U.S. artificial intelligence developer OpenAI said Friday that it has begun a trial for displaying advertisements in its ChatGPT generative AI chatbot for users in Japan. The ads will appear on the free version and the Go plan, priced at ¥1,400 per month, but will not be shown to users under 18 or who subscribe to higher-priced tiers. The trial is aimed at expanding OpenAI's revenue sources amid cutthroat competition in AI development, which requires huge investment. Ads related to ChatGPT responses will be displayed in a separate section, but their content will not influence the chatbot's answers. OpenAI will collaborate with Japanese marketing company Dentsu Digital and other partners to provide ads in Japan. The AI powerhouse began testing ad displays on ChatGPT in the United States in February and has gradually expanded the trial to other countries. In May, the company announced plans to roll it out in five countries, including Japan, within weeks.

OpenAI brings ChatGPT ads to Korea, keeps paid plans ad-free - The Korea Times

OpenAI said Friday it has expanded its ChatGPT advertising pilot program to Korea, making it the sixth market to feature ads after the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Ads will appear only for adult users on ChatGPT's free and Go tiers. Users on paid plans -- Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu -- will not see advertisements. OpenAI said it is applying three core principles to the rollout: keeping ChatGPT's responses independent from advertiser influence, protecting user conversation data and personal information from advertisers and giving users control over their ad experience. Ads will be clearly labeled as "sponsored content" and kept visually separate from ChatGPT's generated responses. Advertisers will have access only to aggregated performance metrics such as impressions and clicks, and will not be able to view individual users' conversation history or personal data. Users can hide ads, submit feedback and manage ad personalization settings directly within the app. Ads will not be shown to accounts identified or predicted to belong to minors, and will not appear in conversations involving sensitive topics such as mental health or politics. "OpenAI's mission is to ensure that AI (artificial intelligence) benefits all of humanity," said Kim Kyoung-hoon, general manager of OpenAI Korea. "Advertising can help expand access to ChatGPT's useful AI capabilities for more people without cost barriers." OpenAI said it will continue refining the ad experience based on user feedback gathered during the pilot. This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.