Just in Testing Phase, ChatGPT Ads Already Generate Rp 1.6 Trillion

OpenAI’s advertising business, which began in February 2026, appears to be a new source of revenue for the parent company of the ChatGPT chatbot. According to an OpenAI spokesperson, the company’s advertising revenue has reached more than $100 million (approximately Rp 1.6 trillion). This amount was achieved in less than two months after OpenAI started trialling ads on ChatGPT, particularly in the United States. In running this business, the artificial intelligence (AI) company is collaborating with more than 600 advertisers. However, an OpenAI representative stated that the company has not observed any impacts concerning privacy. Overall, OpenAI’s trial of ads for free ChatGPT users and ChatGPT Go is considered successful. Nevertheless, some advertisers have complained about the slow and outdated launch of the ads. OpenAI itself claims that the ad speed is intentionally slow to understand the user experience. “We are in the early testing phase of ads on ChatGPT, and the current goal is to learn and refine the experience for consumers before expanding it,” said the OpenAI spokesperson, quoted by KompasTekno from CNBC on Monday (30/3/2026). “We are optimistic about the initial signals from users and participating brands, and continue to see strong interest from advertisers,” the spokesperson added. The report on OpenAI’s advertising revenue was initially shared by the media outlet The Information. After implementation in the US, ads on ChatGPT will also be expanded to other regions in the near future, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. OpenAI’s decision to place ads on ChatGPT is part of the company’s strategy to generate revenue, following its change from a previous non-profit structure. This ad display trial is aimed at adult users in the United States using the free version and the ChatGPT Go subscription package. In circulating screenshots, the ads on the ChatGPT page appear at the bottom of the conversation interface, after the ChatGPT response. KompasTekno observations show that the ads are clearly labelled as sponsored content and placed outside the main response area, so users still see the AI answer first without interruption.