OpenAI to Introduce Ads in ChatGPT: Concerns Over Influence and User Trust

• OpenAI plans to introduce advertising in the free and low-cost Go versions of ChatGPT in the United States, excluding Pro, Business, and Enterprise subscribers.
• The company assures ads will be separate from chatbot responses, will not influence outputs, and pledges not to sell user conversations or target users under 18 or on sensitive topics.
• Concerns arise about whether these voluntary safeguards will hold as advertising becomes central to OpenAI's business model, given the high costs of running advanced AI models.
• History with social media platforms like Google and Facebook shows how targeted advertising can reshape services to maximize engagement, often leading to compromised user interests.
• Chatbots' intimate and personal nature amplifies persuasion, making ads placed alongside personalized guidance potentially more influential and raising stakes for scams, propaganda, and health harms.

Why It Matters: OpenAI's move to integrate ads into ChatGPT raises concerns about potential influence and erosion of user trust.