"Sell us shampoo based on our trauma": Fans react after reports claim OpenAI is planning to introduce personalized ads on ChatGPT

Illustrations Of The Sora 2 Model And The Sora App By OpenAI - Source: Getty
The OpenAI logo displays on a smartphone screen reflecting green beams.- Source: Getty

OpenAI is now reportedly looking to introduce ads on ChatGPT based on user preferences. According to Dexerto, these paid advertisements will allegedly be tailored using information from the user's chatbot memory. Now this has prompted many fans to react about the move, with one user jokingly commenting on how ChatGPT can now recommend user's shampoo based on their trauma. They wrote:

"So we gave ai feelings just so it could sell us shampoo based on our trauma cool cool."

This projected developement comes just weeks after it was announced that now Spotify would collaborate with ChatGPT to help users find their preferred choice of music. According to Dexerto, this feature is available to all ChatGPT users in more than hundred countries. Both free and premium users can avail this innovative feature to find their favorite songs.

More about OpenAI's new plans to introduce paid ads to ChatGPT, as fans react to this possible update

OpenAI's projected new update will utilize the information from the chatbot, allowing the user to now choose whether to disable the chatbot memory to stop receiving such ads. However, according to Dexerto, if users does disable this feature, they will then loose the ability to receive personalized replies to their questions.

Just a few months back, in December 2024, Sarah Friar, the current CFO of OpenAI, explained in an interview with The Financial Times, that if the company ever introduced ads, they would do so in a "thoughtful way." She said:

"Thoughtful about when and where we implement [the ads.] While we’re open to exploring other revenue streams in the future, we have no active plans to pursue advertising.”

On the other hand, Sam Altman, the current CEO of OpenAI, shared his views on paid advertisements in an interview. He said:

"I kind of hate ads just as an aesthetic choice. I think ads needed to happen on the internet for a bunch of reasons, to get it going, but it’s a momentary industry. The world is richer now. I like that people pay for ChatGPT and know that the answers they’re getting are not influenced by advertisers.

This new projected develppement has sparked varied reaction among fans. This user wrote:

"Does everything have to have ads??"

Another added:

"OpenAI prioritizing revenue over the trust they built by claiming otherwise."

This person said:

"ok this is the end of using chatgpt lol."

Another tweeted:

"Here we go again , but now they knows how bad you were !"

This person tweeted:

"Great, more tailored spam."
"That won’t be good. It will ruin the app" said another.

At the moment, it is not known when exactly OpenAI is going to launch this update.

Edited by Urmimala Dev