OpenAI expands ChatGPT Ads to seven Asian markets

OpenAI began rolling out ChatGPT Ads in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan on September 23. The launch expands the advertising product to more than 60 countries, according to the company.

Businesses in the seven new markets can buy ads through OpenAI’s Ads Solutions team, agency partners, technology partners or Ads Manager. But market availability does not automatically provide direct buying access. OpenAI limits self-service to eligible businesses, and the legal entity that advertises and is billed must be based in a supported country. Its current Ads Manager list marks all seven markets as available.

Not every ChatGPT user in those markets will see advertising. OpenAI says ads may appear for eligible users on Free and Go plans, while Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts do not receive them. The company says placements are labeled and separated from answers, advertisers cannot shape ChatGPT’s responses, and advertisers receive aggregated performance data rather than users’ conversations.

The rollout broadens an advertising business whose company-reported scale of ChatGPT Ads includes a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate, according to OpenAI’s milestone post. OpenAI says it reached that rate in less than 200 days after launch and that tens of thousands of advertisers are running ads in ChatGPT. Neither figure was independently audited in the reviewed sources.