OpenAI is facing mounting criticism from ChatGPT subscribers after several users reported seeing what appeared to be promotional messages for brands like Peloton and Target inside the AI assistant — sparking widespread speculation that the company had quietly begun testing ads.
OpenAI executives quickly rejected those claims. The company reiterated that ChatGPT has no ads, no paid placements, and no active advertising tests. Still, it acknowledged that it mishandled recent “app suggestions” shown to some users.
Chief Research Officer Mark Chen responded directly to frustrated subscribers, admitting the company “fell short” in how these messages appeared.
“I agree that anything that feels like an ad needs to be handled with care, and we fell short,” Chen wrote. “We’ve turned off this kind of suggestion while we improve the model’s precision.”
Chen emphasized that the messages users saw were part of an experiment to highlight third-party apps built on the ChatGPT platform, not paid advertisements. He added that the suggestions included no financial component and said OpenAI is exploring ways to give users more control, including the ability to turn off similar recommendations entirely.
Some paying users were unconvinced. One wrote, “Bruhhh… Don’t insult your paying users,” after OpenAI insisted the prompts were not ads.
OpenAI’s Head of ChatGPT, Nick Turley, echoed Chen’s comments, saying the circulating screenshots were being misinterpreted.
“There are no live tests for ads — any screenshots you’ve seen are either not real or not ads,” Turley posted. “If we do pursue ads, we’ll take a thoughtful approach. People trust ChatGPT and anything we do will be designed to respect that.”
The timing of the controversy comes as OpenAI’s internal priorities appear to be shifting. Earlier this year, former Instacart and Facebook executive Fidji Simo joined OpenAI as CEO of Applications, leading many to expect a major push into advertising and monetization.
However, a recent Wall Street Journal report revealed that CEO Sam Altman issued a “code red,” directing the company to prioritize improving ChatGPT’s quality and reliability over new product launches — including potential advertising features.
For now, OpenAI maintains there are no ads in ChatGPT, and the company is pausing any features that could be mistaken for them. Still, the backlash highlights the delicate balance AI platforms must strike between monetization and maintaining user trust.