ChatGPT integrates advertising: what this changes for users

ChatGPT integrates advertising for some accounts from or, which changes the conversation experience, perceived privacy, and the trade-offs between free offers, Go, and ad-free subscriptions.

OpenAI has officially announced a long-awaited shift: the introduction of advertising in ChatGPT, initially through testing in the US market, with a phased rollout. The announcements will affect the free version and the Go plan (priced around €8 per month), while the Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans will remain ad-free. For a service boasting hundreds of millions of weekly active users, the stakes are not merely financial: they impact the quality of responses, the readability of the interfaces, and user trust, particularly in professional settings.

Advertising in ChatGPT: new features and concrete impacts on user experience

The integration of advertising in ChatGPT relies on a mechanism similar to native advertising: banners inserted into the conversational flow, often at the bottom of the screen, designed to be triggered when the query is relevant. The stated objective remains to offer "useful," and therefore contextualized, ads. In concrete terms, a request for travel planning might elicit a proposal from a travel agency, while a culinary query might bring up a brand of ingredients. The key point, from the user's perspective, lies in the timing of the ad's appearance: if the banner appears at the end of a reply, it doesn't significantly disrupt the flow; if it's inserted into a multi-turn conversation, it can break the rhythm and concentration.

A telling example can be taken from a fictional SME, Atelier Nord, which uses ChatGPT to prepare a campaign microsite, write copy, and iterate on taglines. In an advertising context, the team observes a new friction: some sessions become visually cluttered, and the temptation arises to click "out of curiosity," which detracts from the workflow. This micro-friction, repeated across dozens of interactions, can waste real time. To limit the impact, teams are better structuring prompts, reducing the number of rounds, and exporting responses to dedicated documents.

The promise to exclude sensitive topics (health, politics) and the absence of ads for minor accounts help reduce risks, but do not eliminate the issue of perception: a chatbot is often experienced as a “neutral” space. As soon as sponsored content appears, the line between advice and promotion must be clear, otherwise trust will be eroded. This is precisely where the expertise of a web agency and mobile like DualMedia becomes useful: framing journeys, testing interfaces, and anticipating the behavioral effects when a digital product introduces a new layer of monetization.

ChatGPT integrates advertising: what this changes for privacy, targeting, and response quality

When ChatGPT integrates advertising, the central question becomes: what is the targeting based on? OpenAI communicates that the ads are linked to queries, and therefore rather “contextual.” Even within this framework, the user may wonder: is the query used solely to select an ad in the moment, or does it contribute to profiling over time? This distinction is crucial for B2B uses, regulated professions, and product teams that handle sensitive information. The issue is not limited to raw data: it also includes implicit signals, such as the repetition of a theme or approximate geolocation via device settings.

Another issue concerns the quality of the responses. The risk of bias is well-known in the platform economy: if monetization depends on clicks, an incentive may arise to follow recommendations. OpenAI claims to separate paid offerings (Plus, Pro, Enterprise) from advertising, creating a gradient of experience. For free users, vigilance increases: when comparing tools, it becomes useful to ask for explicit criteria, alternatives, and to demand a justification of the choices. A simple simulation changes the dynamic: “Give three options, including one open source, and indicate the trade-offs.” This limits the effect of potential exposure bias.

In digital strategies, this evolution brings ChatGPT closer to other well-established channels. Professionals who optimize campaigns know that the content is just as important as the message. A useful approach is to compare conversational advertising to other approaches. native advertisingHowever, there's a key difference: the recommendation is integrated into an exchange. For advertisers, this could open up a new playing field, but for users, it requires new verification habits.

For a company that depends on the generation of leadsThe shift to AI-powered ad-suppliers also raises questions about acquisition paths. A brand may hesitate between investing in this new inventory or strengthening proven channels. DualMedia supports these decision-making processes, for example by auditing the effectiveness of Google Ads campaigns orentées qualified trafficThen, by aligning content, pages, and conversion. Ultimately, the user wins when the ad is clearly identified and when the assistant remains demanding on factual quality: this is the balance to monitor.

As attention shifts towards conversational interfaces, brands will also seek to optimize their landing pages, since a click from a chat room has a different context than a click from a search engine. The following section details the specific implications for offers, costs, and professional use cases.

ChatGPT offerings with or without advertising: choices, costs, and strategies for users and businesses

Advertising in ChatGPT is redefining the subscription model. The free version is becoming broad access, but with ads. The Go plan, positioned as a more convenient paid entry point, paradoxically finds itself in the same advertising regime, even though its use is supposedly less frustrating than the free version, which is subject to more limitations. The Plus (around €23 per month) and Pro (up to €229 per month) plans, on the other hand, aim for an ad-free experience, more robust in terms of power and usage limits. For a team, the calculation isn't just in euros: it's in lost minutes, interruptions, and the risk of confusion between recommendations and sponsorships.

Let's return to Atelier Nord. For one person, the free plan might suffice for occasional tasks. For a four-person marketing team working daily, the equation changes: an ad-free subscription reduces distractions, but more importantly, it stabilizes user journeys. Product decisions can be based on this, as the interface doesn't vary according to ad inventory or seasonality. This echoes a classic web rule: we often pay for predictability.

To organize this choice, a simple grid helps to decide:

• Occasional use: free version, accepting ads and reinforcing recommendation verification.
• Regular individual use: Go offer if the budget is constrained, with tolerance for advertising inserts.
• Intensive professional use: Plus, for continuity and lack of advertising.
• Critical teams and roles: Professional or Enterprise, for governance, confidence and stability.

This reasoning must also incorporate the product support: if the goal is to transform conversations into assets (landing pages, scripts, specifications), the tools matter. DualMedia often intervenes at this level, linking strategy and execution: page optimization via landing pages that convert, deployment of a showcase website or e-commerce for SMEs, or budgetary framework via a guide on the cost of creating a mobile applicationWhen an AI becomes a channel influenced by advertising, the best reflex is to strengthen the downstream chain: page, tracking, speed, message, proof.

User profile	Objective	Most consistent offer	Effect of advertising in ChatGPT
Student / occasional use	Learn, synthesize, practice	Free	Inserts at ignorer, vigilance regarding recommendations
Independent	Writing, brainstorming, quote	Go or More	Risk of distraction, advantage of a stable flow
SME (marketing/product)	Contents, pages, support client	More	Less noise, better work continuity
Regulated organization	Conformité, sensitive data	Business	Priority to governance and the absence of advertising

Last point: conversational advertising can also push brands to diversify their marketing materials. Some will focus on audio, others on short videos, and still others on automation. To scale up without degrading the experience, building blocks like automating tasks with Zapier become useful, in order to maintain control over processes rather than being affected by channel noise.

Would you like a detailed quotation for a mobile application or a website?
Our team of development and design experts at DualMedia is ready to transformer your ideas into reality. Contact us today for a quick and accurate quote: contact@dualmedia.fr