Adobe, Target Among Companies Enlisted in ChatGPT’s Ads Pilot Program
In Focus
- OpenAI has started running ads on ChatGPT
- Commercial ads appear below user responses on the chatbot
- ChatGPT uses keywords in conversations to determine which ads to display
Multiple companies have announced plans to partner with OpenAI in the ChatGPT ads pilot program, Gadgets360 reported. Some of the brands that plan to test ads on the AI chatbot include Adobe, Ford, Audible, Target, and Dentsu. For these companies, the testing phase presents an opportunity to meet new buyers in spaces where they frequent.
Ad Pilot Program is an Opportunity to Learn
According to OpenAI, ads in ChatGPT’s free-tier provide a unique opportunity to learn alongside the corporate partners. The AI developer will be labelling commercial ads clearly, and they will not affect user responses.
“We believe ads play an important role in continuing to support broad access to AI. By working closely with partners like Adobe in this pilot, we’re able to thoughtfully test new ad experiences and learn together to ensure ads are separate and clearly distinct, relevant, and useful while maintaining the trust people place in ChatGPT,” OpenAI’s Ads and Monetization Lead, Asad Awan noted as cited on Adobe blog.
The AI developer started showing ads to free-tier and ChatGPT Go subscribers in the U.S earlier this week. OpenAI’s advertising rollout coincides with the company’s wider subscription strategy that includes its budget-friendly plan, ChatGPT Go.
What Does OpenAI’s Ad Pilot Program Mean for Companies?
For participating companies, OpenAI’s ad pilot program provides an opportunity to explore AI-driven marketing. Adobe, which runs ads on Adobe Firefly and Acrobat Studio, is using the program to explore ways to deliver brand visibility and customer engagement through ChatGPT.
“The pilot will help us better understand how ads can provide helpful, relevant experiences, while maintaining the trust users place in ChatGPT responses and OpenAI’s privacy framework,” Adobe noted as published on the company website.
Audible, which is one of the brands advertising on ChatGPT, did not clarify whether ads will focus on its audiobooks or subscription plans.
“The pilot will enable us to understand how advertising can create value in conversational AI environments while maintaining the trust users place in these platforms,” the company mentioned in a LinkedIn post.
Another company, Williams-Sonoma, said the piloting program will enable it to determine how ads on ChatGPT can “surface relevant, high-quality products while preserving the trusted and transparent user experience.”
How Do ChatGPT Ads Work?
On ChatGPT, OpenAI has designed targeted ads to appear below user responses in a visually separate manner. The company considers keywords in user conversations to determine which ads to display. The chatbot also considers previous user interactions and chat history when placing targeted ads.
Currently, ads are only displayed to logged-in adult users in the United States. Although OpenAI’s ad pricing model remains unclear, the AI firm is reportedly charging advertisers $60 for every 1,000 views. This is about three times the amount advertisers pay on Meta’s social media platforms.
