OpenAI says it will soon start showing advertisements to ChatGPT users who aren't paying for a premium version of the chatbot.
The artificial intelligence company said Friday it hasn't yet rolled out ads but will start testing them in the coming weeks.
It's the latest effort by the San Francisco-based company to make money from ChatGPT's more than 800 million users, most of whom get it for free.
Though valued at $500 billion, the startup loses more money than it makes and has been looking for ways to turn a profit.
“Most importantly: ads will not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you,” said Fidji Simo, the company’s CEO of applications, in a social media post Friday.
OpenAI said the digital ads will appear at the bottom of ChatGPT's answers “when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service based on your current conversation.”
The ads “will be clearly labeled and separated from the organic answer,” the company said.
Two of OpenAI’s rivals, Google and Meta, have dominated digital advertising for years and already incorporate ads into some of their AI features.
Originally founded as a nonprofit with a mission to safely build better-than-human AI, OpenAI last year reorganized its ownership structure and converted its business into a public benefit corporation. It said Friday that its pursuit of advertising will be “always in support” of its original mission to ensure its AI technology benefits humanity.
But introducing personalized ads starts OpenAI “down a risky path” previously taken by social media companies, said Miranda Bogen of the Center for Democracy and Technology.
“People are using chatbots for all sorts of reasons, including as companions and advisors," said Bogen, director of CDT’s AI Governance Lab. “There’s a lot at stake when that tool tries to exploit users’ trust to hawk advertisers’ goods.”
OpenAI makes some money from paid subscriptions but needs more revenue to pay for its more than $1 trillion in financial obligations for the computer chips and data centers that power its AI services. The risk that OpenAI won’t make enough money to fulfill the expectations of backers like Oracle and Nvidia has amplified investor concerns about an AI bubble.
“It is clear to us that a lot of people want to use a lot of AI and don’t want to pay, so we are hopeful a business model like this can work,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a post Friday on social platform X. He added that he likes the ads on Meta's Instagram because they show him things he wouldn't have found otherwise.
OpenAI claims it won't use a user's personal information or prompts to collect data for ads, but the question is “for how long,” said Paddy Harrington, an analyst at research group Forrester.
“Free services are never actually free and these public AI platforms need to generate revenue,” Harrington said. “Which leads to the adage: If the service is free, you’re the product.”
FILE - The OpenAI logo is displayed on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen with output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — European players chanted, “Two more years!” when they won the Ryder Cup in New York, and Luke Donald listened. He was named captain on Wednesday for the 2027 matches in Ireland, making him the first captain in 30 years to lead in three straight Ryder Cups.
At stake for Donald is a chance to become the first Ryder Cup captain with three straight victories.
“The last two Ryder Cups have meant a lot to me and my family," Donald said. "I didn’t imagine this third time would come. Celebrating on that Sunday night in New York after a pressure-packed week in a tough environment, I thought maybe my job was done.
“But maybe there is a little more story to tell.”
Donald, a former world No. 1 from England, was never meant to be captain in the first place. He seemingly lost out when Europe chose Henrik Stenson to be captain for the 2023 matches outside Rome. But then Stenson gave up the job when he joined Saudi-backed LIV Golf, and Donald stepped in and hasn't missed a beat.
Donald led Europe to a resounding victory in 2023, and then last September at Bethpage Black led his team to a seven-point lead going into Sunday singles. It held on to win while coping with a hostile New York crowd.
That prompted U.S. captain Keegan Bradley to say, “I think he’s the best European Ryder Cup captain of all time, Luke Donald."
The 2027 matches — the 100th anniversary of the Ryder Cup — will be at Adare Manor in Ireland. Europe has not lost on home soil since 1993.
Now it's up to the Americans to decide who will go up against Donald. Tiger Woods again is the top choice to lead Team USA. Woods turned down the job last time, leading to Bradley being appointed just 14 months before the matches.
Woods has said he hasn't decided whether he has the time to do the job justice. He currently is leading an overhaul of the PGA Tour model. The Associated Press reported last week the PGA of America has encouraged Woods to decide within the month.
Bernhard Gallacher from 1991 through 1995 was the last captain to serve three straight times, winning his last one at Oak Hill.
Donald was seen as an obvious choice for 2027, part of that a product of LIV Golf because of other potential captains — Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell — who are with LIV. Justin Rose had said at the start of the year he was more interested in playing for the 2027 team. Francesco Molinari was viewed as another option.
“History is obviously important to me. As a team, as Ryder Cup Europe, we all play for history," the 48-year-old Donald said. "We talk about it a lot, about the guys who paved the way for us and the responsibility we have to inspire next generations. But I don’t think I have ever thought about history through a personal lens. I just try to enjoy the journey and the day-to-day work to create an environment that gives the players the opportunity for success. That is what I focus on.”
Walter Hagen was a winning captain four times for the Americans, while Ben Hogan led the U.S. team to three victories, though neither was in successive matches and those occurred in an era of U.S. dominance before Europe was part of the Ryder Cup.
Tony Jacklin was European captain three times, and his players left with the gold trophy all three times. The last one in 1989 was a tie, and Europe retained the Ryder Cup as the defending champion. At stake for Donald is the first to win outright three straight times.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
FILE - Europe's captain Luke Donald poses with the trophy after winning the Ryder Cup golf tournament against the United States on the Bethpage Black golf course, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Farmingdale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
