OpenAI Launches Self-Serve Ads for ChatGPT

OpenAI launched a self-serve Ads Manager for ChatGPT on Monday, open to U.S. advertisers in beta. The system uses cost-per-click bidding, conversion pixels, and a Conversions API. Four major agency holding companies (Omnicom, Publicis, WPP, and Dentsu) signed on as partners alongside Adobe, Criteo, Kargo, Pacvue, and StackAdapt. Sam Altman once called advertising a "last resort." I guess he's come around. Continue Reading →

ChatGPT Ads New Pricing

OpenAI is adding CPC (cost-per-click) to ChatGPT ads this week. Advertisers can now bid $3 to $5 per click, which puts ChatGPT somewhere between Meta (cheap clicks, browsing intent) and Google Search (expensive clicks, purchase intent). Where it actually lands will depend on proving something OpenAI has not yet proven: does a ChatGPT click drive an outcome? Continue Reading →

OpenAI’s Ads Are About to Talk Back

OpenAI is partnering with advertising automation platform Smartly to bring conversational ads to ChatGPT. These interactive ad units will respond to users directly, turning advertisements into secondary chatbot dialogues within ChatGPT's interface. Continue Reading →

OpenAI Tests Ads in ChatGPT

OpenAI has begun testing ads in ChatGPT for U.S. users on the Free and Go tiers. Sponsored results appear below ChatGPT's responses, clearly labeled and targeted to the conversation topic. Paid subscribers (Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, Education) see nothing. Continue Reading →

Ads in ChatGPT

Here's an idea: let's announce that ChatGPT will begin testing sponsored content on Friday afternoon of MLK weekend. Nothing says "people are going to love this" like a holiday news dump. If you use the free tier or the new $8/month ChatGPT Go subscription, you'll start seeing sponsored content at the bottom of answers in the coming weeks. Continue Reading →

ChatGPT’s Ad Dilemma: When 700 Million Users Aren’t Enough

ChatGPT head Nick Turley just admitted what every tech executive already knows: even 700 million weekly active users can't make the math work without ads. In an interview on Decoder, Turley said he's "humble enough not to rule it out categorically," though he hedged that OpenAI would need to be "very thoughtful and tasteful" about how ads could be integrated into ChatGPT. Continue Reading →

YouTube’s Gemini AI Uses Peak Points to Target Ads at Moments of Maximum Engagement

On Wednesday, Google announced a new Gemini AI-powered ad product called Peak Points at its YouTube Brandcast event in New York. The AI identifies moments during a video when viewers are most engaged, then drops in an ad. In theory, ads will perform better because the messages appear during emotionally resonant or attention-rich segments. Of course, it could completely backfire. People may be so engaged in the programming that they ignore the ads. Test and learn. Continue Reading →

AI in Creative Work: Required vs. Inspired Content

In “If You Can't Tell the Difference, There Is No Difference,” I argued that when AI-generated work is indistinguishable from human-made content, the distinction becomes irrelevant. Microsoft’s latest Surface commercial (created with the help of generative AI) puts that theory into practice. Continue Reading →