Privacy fears as OpenAI trials ads in its ChatGPT chatbot in the US
Privacy fears as OpenAI trials ads in its ChatGPT chatbot in the US
Publish Date: 2026-03-01 15:00:00
Source Domain: www.abc.net.au
Soon when you ask ChatGPT a personal question, the answer could come with an advertisement attached.
OpenAI has confirmed it is testing ads within its popular chatbot in the United States, targeting free and low-tier subscription users.
There are plans to gradually expand the rollout to other countries, though there is no official launch date yet for Australia.
That prospect is raising privacy concerns among digital rights advocates, who warn AI chatbots serve a more intimate space than traditional social media platforms.
Advertisements would be based on a user’s current conversation. (Supplied: OpenAI)
The company said advertisements would appear at the bottom of answers and would be based on a user’s current conversation.
OpenAI said if certain settings were switched on, such as “personalised ads” and “memory”, it could allow for advertisements to appear based off previous chats.
The idea that advertisements could be shaped by personal prompts, which often include sensitive questions about health, finances, relationships or work, represents what Digital Rights Watch has described as an “emergent field”.
“We will gradually increase exposure of the test to more and more users in the US before any plans to expand in other markets,” an OpenAI spokesperson told the ABC.
The move marks a significant shift for the company, despite founder Sam Altman having previously expressed his discomfort around advertising models.
With hundreds of millions of users worldwide, ChatGPT is one of the fastest-growing consumer technology products globally.
The prospect is raising privacy concerns among digital rights advocates. (ABC News: Abubakr Sajid)
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