January 16, 2026
AdGPT has entered the chat
OpenAI to begin testing ads on ChatGPT in the U.S.
Free ChatGPT gets ads; users cry 'enshittification' and threaten to bail
TLDR: OpenAI will test ads on free ChatGPT in the U.S., promising clear labels and no impact on answers. The community is split but loud: many say this marks a trust-killing “enshittification” and fear ads creeping into paid tiers, while a few shrug that free tools inevitably come with sponsors.
OpenAI says ads are coming to free ChatGPT in the U.S., tucked at the bottom of answers and clearly labeled, with paid Plus/Pro/Enterprise staying ad‑free (for now). They promise responses won’t be influenced, no data will be sold, and no ads near politics or health. Cue the comment section going full meltdown.
The top mood? Rage and distrust. One user mourned the “pre‑ad internet” and warned we’ll be “spun by advertisers in our most intimate 1:1 chats.” Another dropped the meme heard round tech: “Let the enshittification begin.” A third claims product replies already favor partners and affiliate links—fueling suspicion that “AdGPT” was inevitable despite CEO Sam Altman’s past worries that ads could erode trust.
There’s context: OpenAI has massive bills—think a reported $1.4 trillion in infrastructure deals and a $20B revenue run rate—and Altman says many people want AI without paying, so ads are the trade‑off. Some commenters shrug: free apps get ads, that’s life. But the louder chorus predicts a slippery slope—first the free tier, then the paid tiers, then the “premium‑extra” tier—while a few are already declaring “canceling today.”
Want receipts? See OpenAI’s ad approach and HN thread. Buckle up, ad apocalypse has entered chat.
Key Points
- •OpenAI will test ads in ChatGPT for adult free users in the U.S. in the coming weeks.
- •Plus, Pro and Enterprise subscriptions will remain ad-free; the new low-cost Go plan will include ads.
- •Ads will appear at the bottom of responses, be clearly labeled, and will not influence ChatGPT’s output.
- •OpenAI states it will not sell user data to advertisers; under-18 users will not see ads and certain topics are excluded.
- •The move follows major spending commitments and revenue growth, including $1.4 trillion in 2025 infrastructure deals and a $20B annualized run rate noted in November.