OpenAI boss Sam Altman hates ads, but regardless, he’s now introducing advertising to ChatGPT’s lower tiers to help boost the company’s revenue. Running AI systems is insanely expensive, so OpenAI is turning to an old internet favourite to ease the cash burn as millions of users make it clear they don’t want to pay for AI.
It’s an understandable move, but considering Altman’s view on AI and ads, it is a move he likely wanted to avoid. In the 2024 clip below, Altman not only said he “hates” ads, but he also found that “ads plus AI is sort of uniquely unsettling.” The key for OpenAI is to introduce ads in a way that doesn’t ruin the experience for the user.
Introducing ChatGPT Go Globally
ChatGPT Go was introduced in India last year as a low-cost subscription designed to expand access to ChatGPT’s most popular features. Since then, ChatGPT Go has been extended to 170 countries, and the response has convinced OpenAI to expand the lower-tier service globally.
Starting today, ChatGPT Go is rolling out everywhere ChatGPT is available:
- ChatGPT Go: This low-cost subscription tier will now be available in Australia for A$13/month.
- Higher Limits: 10x more messages, file uploads, and image creation so you can keep chatting with no limits on GPT-5.2 Instant.
- Better Context: Longer memory and context window, so ChatGPT can remember more helpful details about you over time.
- Latest Model: Access to GPT-5.2 Instant for everyday tasks like writing assistance, web search, document analysis, and summarisation.
How Ad-Supported ChatGPT Will Work
Ads are not yet available in ChatGPT in Australia, but OpenAI says it will begin testing ads on the Free and Go tiers in the coming weeks in the United States.
This is what OpenAI is promising:
- Responses in ChatGPT will not be influenced by ads.
- Ads are always separate and clearly labelled.
- Your conversations are private from advertisers.
- Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise tiers will not have ads.
The Future
There’s no doubt others will follow OpenAI’s lead when it comes to serving ads through AI applications. As long as we are still able to pay for a tier that doesn’t have ads, then I’m OK with it.
Let’s see how it goes.
