OpenAI is pushing back against growing concerns from users who reported seeing what appeared to be advertisements inside ChatGPT, prompting the company to clarify its approach and temporarily halt certain promotional-style suggestions. Although OpenAI maintains that “there are currently no ads — or tests for advertising — live in ChatGPT,” senior leaders have acknowledged shortcomings in recent model behavior that made some responses feel like paid promotions.
The issue surfaced when paying subscribers posted screenshots showing references to brands such as Peloton and Target in ChatGPT suggestions. These posts quickly triggered debates across social media, with several users expressing frustration and accusing the platform of introducing ads to a paid service. One subscriber responded to OpenAI’s explanation with skepticism, writing, “Bruhhh… Don’t insult your paying users.”
OpenAI clarified that these brand-related suggestions were part of internal tests highlighting apps built on the ChatGPT platform announced in October, stressing that there was “no financial component” to any of the mentions. Still, the company admitted the execution fell short of user expectations.
ChatGPT head Nick Turley attempted to calm speculation by posting that he was “seeing lots of confusion about ads rumors in ChatGPT,” adding, “There are no live tests for ads – any screenshots you’ve seen are either not real or not ads. If we do pursue ads, we’ll take a thoughtful approach. People trust ChatGPT and anything we do will be designed to respect that.”
However, OpenAI’s chief research officer Mark Chen acknowledged that the issue was not just misunderstanding. In a more candid response, he wrote, “I agree that anything that feels like an ad needs to be handled with care, and we fell short. We’ve turned off this kind of suggestion while we improve the model’s precision. We’re also looking at better controls so you can dial this down or off if you don’t find it helpful.”
The controversy arrives at a sensitive moment for OpenAI. Earlier this year, former Instacart and Facebook executive Fidji Simo joined the company as CEO of Applications, fueling expectations that OpenAI would expand into advertising. Yet, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report, CEO Sam Altman has issued a “code red,” shifting priorities toward enhancing the overall quality and reliability of ChatGPT—temporarily delaying initiatives such as advertising.
The episode highlights the fine line OpenAI must navigate as it experiments with new product features while maintaining user trust in a platform increasingly central to work, communication, and productivity.
