ChatGPT, developed by the company OpenAI, currently offers a free version in addition to its premium “Plus” subscription which provides other features while removing usage limits. However, in order to increase revenue, the company led by Sam Atlman plans to introduce advertising for users of the basic formula.
OpenAI thinks (strongly) about advertising
Sarah Friar, OpenAI’s chief financial officer, said in a recent interview with Financial Times that while there are no immediate plans, the introduction of advertisements is being considered. The move is driven by the need to offset the substantial costs associated with maintaining and developing artificial intelligence (AI) servers, which reportedly reached $5 billion this year for AI training alone.
Despite a high valuation of over $150 billion, advertising could provide a sustainable revenue stream for OpenAI, enabling free access while monetizing the service. Moreover, recently, the company strengthened its team with advertising experts from Meta and Google, suggesting a strategic evolution towards this model. However, Friar emphasized the need for careful consideration regarding ad timing and placement to maintain the quality of the user experience.
Reflection on advertising
Although CEO Sam Altman has always expressed reluctance towards the ads, describing them as a “last resort”, recent reports suggest he may have put water in his wine. This potential change comes as OpenAI explores various avenues to ensure profitability and user accessibility.
This will not help customers, but especially Google. As indicated a few minutes ago, Google’s control over online advertising is over, the search giant having just fallen below the symbolic bar of 50% market share in 2024. Meta, Amazon and AI in general has eaten away at the huge pie, relegating little by little (but very quickly) the search engine to the Middle Ages of the Internet.
Current monetization
ChatGPT Plus, priced at €22 per month, offers users advanced features such as access to newer language models, higher message limits, and image generation capabilities. In addition to individual subscriptions, OpenAI also offers tailor-made plans for teams and enterprises.
Additionally, OpenAI’s collaboration with Apple to integrate ChatGPT into Siri with the upcoming iOS 18.2 update represents another monetization strategy. Although Apple is not directly paying OpenAI for this integration, it will promote ChatGPT Plus in its settings menu, which could lead to more subscriptions.
The iOS 18.2 update is scheduled for public release later this month, further highlighting OpenAI’s efforts to expand the utility and reach of ChatGPT through strategic partnerships and feature enhancements.
