ChatGPT Ads Are Coming, But Don’t Expect a Google Ads Experience
OpenAI is preparing to launch a new advertising system for ChatGPT, diverging substantially from traditional search engine marketing models like those used by Google Ads. The company revealed details of the forthcoming ad platform during a live interview with CEO Sam Altman at the Progress Conference, signaling a shift in how users will interact with sponsored content within the popular AI chatbot.
Unlike the keyword-based, auction system of Google Ads, OpenAI’s approach will focus on allowing advertisers to create customized versions of ChatGPT itself, tailored to specific tasks or industries. These “GPTs” – customized ChatGPT instances – will be discoverable within the platform and offered to users based on thier queries, offering a fundamentally diffrent advertising experience. This move impacts marketers seeking to leverage AI, users navigating sponsored content, and the broader landscape of digital advertising, possibly reshaping how brands engage with consumers through conversational AI.
Altman explained that the advertising system is designed to be less intrusive and more helpful than traditional ads. “Rather of showing you an ad, we’re going to show you a customized GPT that can definitely help you with whatever you’re trying to do,” he stated during the interview. Users will be clearly informed when they are interacting with a GPT created by a business, maintaining clarity about the sponsored nature of the interaction.
The system will allow businesses to build GPTs for a variety of applications, such as providing customer support, offering expert advice, or assisting with complex tasks. OpenAI will reportedly charge developers for usage of the platform,based on factors like the number of messages processed by their GPTs.
This approach represents a significant departure from the conventional digital advertising model. Rather of interrupting a user’s search with a paid listing, OpenAI aims to integrate sponsored assistance directly into the conversational flow of ChatGPT. The company anticipates a public rollout of the advertising system in the coming months.
