OpenAI Tests Product Carousel Ads on ChatGPT Image Generation Loading Screens
OpenAI will begin testing display ads and product carousels in the US that appear beneath images while ChatGPT generates them. The test comes as OpenAI reaches a $1 billion annualized ad revenue run rate.
OpenAI is introducing a new display advertising format within ChatGPT that will display sponsored product carousels to users while they wait for the chatbot to render images. The test is scheduled to launch later this month for users in the United States alongside an initial group of commercial partners.
Carousels on the Loading Screen
Under the new format, display ads will appear directly below the image that ChatGPT is actively generating. The units will be presented either as a multi-item carousel or as a horizontal row of product images.
According to details of the rollout, the advertisements are explicitly labeled as sponsored content and kept visually distinct and separate from the generated image itself. Creative assets will focus on highlighting physical products in use or presenting experiences tied to the featured brands.
Measurement and Brand Safety Controls
Alongside the new display format, OpenAI is expanding its suite of commercial measurement and verification tools. Advertisers will be able to pass conversion data into ChatGPT Ads via customer data platforms such as Hightouch, Tealium, and LiveRamp. Mobile attribution and analytics providers—including AppsFlyer, Adjust, and Branch—are also being integrated into the platform.
To evaluate real-world campaign incrementality, OpenAI is conducting geo-based experiments utilizing measurement platforms Haus, Measured, and WorkMagic.
Addressing brand safety concerns around generative AI, the company is running pilot programs with verification firms Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify. These systems evaluate ad placement environments without inspecting or accessing users' private chat sessions. Additionally, select participating advertisers have been given the capability to configure negative keywords to prevent their ads from appearing alongside unsuitable conversational topics.
The Push Toward a $100 Billion Goal
The new loading-screen placements mark the latest expansion of OpenAI's rapidly growing commercial arm. OpenAI initially launched ads within ChatGPT in February and has since extended advertising into more than 40 countries.
The business has already reached an annualized run rate of $1 billion from advertising alone, with an internal target of reaching $100 billion in annual ad revenue by 2030. While ChatGPT currently attracts an estimated 1.2 billion users on a weekly basis, only around 5 percent of its user base was paying for a premium subscription earlier this year, making ad-supported monetization a central pillar of OpenAI's long-term business strategy.
