Short answer: OpenAI says visual display ads will begin appearing alongside images that people generate in ChatGPT later in October 2026, in the United States only at first.
OpenAI announced the new ad format on October 5, 2026. The first ads will come from an initial test group of advertisers, will be clearly labeled, and, according to the company, will not influence ChatGPT’s answers. The ads support ChatGPT’s free and low-cost tiers, which OpenAI began monetizing with ads earlier in 2026 and expanded to India in August.
Image: Smartphone with ChatGPT app by Jernej Furman, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.