ChatGPT poses ads | TechCrunch

OpenAI announced on Monday that it has begun testing ads in the United States for users on the Free and Go subscription tiers.

The newest Go plan is a low-cost subscription priced at $8 per month in the US and rolled out globally in mid-January.

Subscribers to paid OpenAI plans, including the Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education tiers, will not see ads, the company said.

OpenAI sought to address concerns about how ads impact user experience, saying in a blog post: “Ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you, and we keep your conversations with ChatGPT private from advertisers. Our goal is for ads to support broader access to ChatGPT’s most powerful features while preserving people’s trust in ChatGPT for important and personal tasks.”

The move, announced by the company last month, was teased in a series of Super Bowl ads that ran Sunday from a major competitor, Anthropic.

In its TV ads, Anthropic poked fun at the idea that some AI companies, like OpenAI, would soon include ads by showing how poorly integrated ads can disrupt the consumer experience. This is depicted on screen by glassy-eyed actors playing AI-powered chatbots, who offer their advice alongside a poorly targeted ad.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been very angry about vaccines, calling advertising “dishonest” and Anthropic an “authoritarian corporation.”

Consumers have so far resisted the idea of ​​ads in AI responses. OpenAI faced backlash late last year when it tested app suggestions that looked like spam ads. However, an AI company needs to generate revenue from its popular chatbot to cover the costs of developing the technology and growing the business.

Although this is understandable, critics fear that ads will influence ChatGPT answers. OpenAI denies this in its announcement, saying that ads will be optimized based on “what is most useful to you.” The company says ads will always be clearly labeled as sponsored and separate from organic content.

In tests, OpenAI tried to match ads to users based on the topic of their conversations, previous conversations, and previous ad interactions. For example, users searching for recipes may see ads for grocery delivery services or meal kits, the company says. OpenAI said advertisers will not have access to user data, but will only collect information about ad performance, such as views and clicks.

Users will also be able to view and clear the history of their interactions with ads at any time. Additionally, OpenAI said users can decline ads, share comments, learn why they were shown an ad, and manage ad personalization settings.

Ads will not be shown to users under 18, and will not be placed near sensitive or regulated topics such as health, politics or mental health.