Earlier this year, OpenAI started rolling out advertisements to ChatGPT’s free and Go users. Now, the company is testing a new visual ad format for the popular chatbot.
In a recently published blog post, the company said the new format will begin testing later this month, with users in the US being the first to see it. However, the company has not provided details on when the visual ads will be rolled out globally. Initially, the visual ads will appear during image generation in ChatGPT, showing products and services through images while remaining separate from the image being created.
OpenAI says the ads will have a clear label and remain separate from the image generated by a user. “As with our other ad formats, advertising does not influence the answers ChatGPT provides,” the company adds. Based on the example shown in the company’s blog post (as seen in the featured image), the ads can appear as a large image spanning the width of the screen or as several thumbnail-sized pictures.
The AI giant says the new ad format can help users better visualise how “products and services could fit into their lives”. However, like its text-based ads, the visual ads are intended for free and Go users, while Plus and Pro subscribers, as well as Business, Enterprise and Edu users, are excluded from seeing ads in ChatGPT.
The company further notes that it has implemented safeguards for this format to ensure that ads are only displayed alongside topics it deems “appropriate for advertising”. OpenAI also says it will keep ads away from users who may be “emotionally vulnerable” or “sensitive”. The company adds that it will conduct continuous monitoring, using automated checks and human oversight, to ensure that these guardrails are functioning properly.
(Source: OpenAI)
