On February 9, 2026, OpenAI began rolling out advertisements inside ChatGPT for the first time, a notable shift for one of the most widely used AI tools in the world. The ads appear for users on the Free and lower-cost Go tiers and are clearly labeled as sponsored content, typically shown below responses rather than embedded in them. OpenAI says the move is meant to help fund infrastructure, model development, and broader access, while keeping higher-tier subscriptions — including Plus, Pro, Business, and Education — ad-free.