ChatGPT ads are expanding to 26 more countries, bringing the total to 89, according to an October 21 post on openai.com. If you use ChatGPT on the Free or Go plan in one of the new markets, expect ads. Plus, Pro and Enterprise are ad-free, per OpenAI.
Where ads are going
The post says the new markets include 14 more countries in Latin America, among them Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, plus Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It builds on earlier launches in Europe, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Mexico and Brazil.
What changes for you
- Free and Go: these are the only tiers that show ads.
- Plus, Pro and Enterprise: ad-free, per OpenAI. Moving to a paid tier is the only way to avoid ads that the post describes.
- Advertisers: they buy through tech partners or the self-serve Ads Manager.
OpenAI's claims about privacy and answers
These are OpenAI's own claims, and the post is the only source for them:
- Conversations stay private from advertisers.
- OpenAI does not sell user data.
- Ads are labeled and kept separate from answers.
- Ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives.
If privacy is your concern, our piece on ChatGPT locked chats covers what that feature hides and what it leaves alone.
The scale OpenAI reports
OpenAI says more than 100,000 advertisers have joined in "just over eight months," and that ChatGPT has more than 1.2 billion weekly users. It says it will add more ad formats, objectives, buying options and measurement next.
What the post does not say
- The full list of 26 countries.
- Launch dates for each country.
- How many ads you will see, or what they look like.
For other recent ChatGPT changes, see the Chrome extension's new Chat and Work modes.
Why it matters
At 89 countries, ChatGPT's ads are no longer limited to a handful of markets. Since the post gives no country-by-country dates, check the app before assuming you will or will not see them.
