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OpenAI launches ChatGPT ads in UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, South Korea

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OpenAI launches ChatGPT ads in UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, South Korea

OpenAI began testing ads in ChatGPT on February 9, 2026, for logged-in adult users on the Free and Go subscription tiers in the U.S. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education tiers do not carry ads. During the test, OpenAI decides which ad to show by matching ads submitted by advertisers to the topic of a user's current conversation, their past chats, and their past interactions with ads; if several advertisers match, the most relevant one is shown first. OpenAI says ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives, are always labeled as sponsored and visually separated from the organic answer, and that advertisers do not get access to users' chats, chat history, memories, or personal details, only aggregate performance data such as views or clicks. During the test, ads are withheld from accounts a user identifies, or OpenAI predicts, as belonging to someone under 18, and are not shown near sensitive or regulated topics such as health, mental health, or politics. Free-tier users can opt out of ads in exchange for fewer daily free messages, and OpenAI says users can dismiss ads, give feedback, see why an ad was shown, and delete their ad data with one tap. On March 26, 2026, OpenAI said early results from the U.S. pilot showed no impact on consumer trust metrics, low ad dismissal rates, and ongoing improvements in ad relevance, and announced it would begin expanding the pilot beyond the U.S., starting with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. On May 7, 2026, OpenAI said it planned to expand the pilot further, to the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea, describing the rollout as a way to learn what works in different regions. In an August 11, 2026 update, OpenAI said ChatGPT Ads has now launched in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea, and that it is continuing to expand to more markets this year. Businesses interested in advertising in ChatGPT are directed to sign up for updates at openai.com/advertisers.

Key facts

  • The ChatGPT ads test began February 9, 2026, for logged-in adult users on the Free and Go tiers in the U.S.; Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education tiers do not have ads.
  • As of an August 11, 2026 update, ChatGPT Ads has launched in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea.
  • OpenAI first announced plans to expand beyond the U.S. on March 26, 2026, starting with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, before naming the UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea as the next markets on May 7, 2026.
  • OpenAI says ads do not influence ChatGPT's answers, are always labeled as sponsored, and that advertisers only receive aggregate performance data, never access to chats or personal details.
  • Free-tier users can opt out of ads in exchange for fewer daily free messages; ads are withheld from accounts identified or predicted to belong to under-18 users and are not shown near sensitive topics like health or politics.

Why it matters

ChatGPT is used by hundreds of millions of people, and OpenAI says keeping the free and Go tiers fast and reliable takes significant, ongoing infrastructure investment. Ads are the mechanism OpenAI is testing to fund that without charging everyone: the company frames them as a way to support broader access to more capable ChatGPT features for people who do not pay for Plus or Pro. The August 11, 2026 update, taking the pilot from a single-country test to six countries within six months, marks the shift from experiment toward a standing ad business inside ChatGPT.

Who it affects

Logged-in adult users on ChatGPT's Free and Go tiers in the U.S., UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea now see ads; Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education subscribers do not. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were named in March 2026 as the first planned expansion markets, though the source does not state that the pilot has completed launching there. Businesses that want to advertise in ChatGPT are directed to sign up at openai.com/advertisers.

How to use it

Advertising in ChatGPT during the test works by having ads submitted by advertisers matched to the topic of a user's conversation, their past chats, and past ad interactions; the most relevant advertiser is shown first if there are several matches. Free-tier users who would rather not see ads can either upgrade to Plus or Pro, which carry no ads, or opt out of ads on the Free tier in exchange for fewer daily free messages. Users can dismiss individual ads, give feedback, see why a particular ad was shown, delete their ad data with one tap, and manage ad personalization at any time.

How solid is it

This is OpenAI's own account of its own product, published and updated directly on its blog across four dates from February to August 2026, not an independent report. The March 26, 2026 claims of 'no impact on consumer trust metrics' and 'low dismissal rates' are OpenAI's characterization; the source gives no percentages, counts, or other figures behind them. No number of participating advertisers, no revenue or ad-spend figures, and no confirmation that the Canada, Australia, and New Zealand expansion actually completed are given anywhere in the source.

Risks and caveats

OpenAI's stated safeguards, that ads do not influence ChatGPT's answers, that conversations stay private from advertisers, and that ads are withheld near sensitive topics and from likely under-18 accounts, are self-reported policy commitments rather than independently verified outcomes. The source does not say whether the ad program has moved beyond the Free and Go tiers, and 'more markets this year' beyond the five newly launched countries is stated without any further specifics or timeline.

“Ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you.”

— OpenAI, "Testing ads in ChatGPT"