OpenAI’s ChatGPT Ads Pilot Tops $100 Million as the Company Prepares Wider Rollout

OpenAI’s push to monetize ChatGPT is moving fast. On March 26, 2026, Reuters reported that the company’s U.S. ads pilot had crossed a $100 million annualized revenue run rate within six weeks of launch, an early sign that the product is becoming a meaningful advertising surface.

• The U.S. ChatGPT ads test reached a $100 million annualized revenue run rate in six weeks.
• OpenAI said it plans to expand the pilot into additional countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
• Self-serve advertiser tools are slated to arrive in April 2026.

A fast-moving monetization test

The report points to an aggressive rollout strategy from OpenAI, which began showing ads in ChatGPT to some U.S. users in January 2026. The company said the test covers users on its free tier and lower-priced Go plan, with ads kept separate from ChatGPT’s generated answers.

OpenAI also said user conversations are not shared with marketers. That distinction matters because the company is trying to grow a new revenue line without undermining trust in the core chatbot experience.

Scale is still limited, but the upside looks large

According to the Reuters report, roughly 85% of users are eligible to see ads, but fewer than 20% are shown them daily. That leaves room for OpenAI to increase exposure without immediately changing the product experience for every user.

The company has also expanded the test to more than 600 advertisers, and Reuters reported that nearly 80% of small and medium-sized businesses expressed interest in ChatGPT ads. Those numbers suggest OpenAI is already seeing demand from advertisers before the system is fully opened up.

What comes next

OpenAI is expected to launch self-serve advertiser capabilities in April 2026, which would make the product easier for more businesses to buy into at scale. The company also plans to broaden the test globally, starting with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Reuters also reported that David Dugan, a former Meta ads executive, was named to lead OpenAI’s global advertising solutions team earlier in the week, a move that suggests OpenAI is building out the sales and operations muscle needed for a larger ad business.

What to Watch

Watch whether OpenAI can expand ads without hurting ChatGPT’s user trust or changing the tone of the product. The bigger question is how quickly the company can turn a successful pilot into a durable revenue stream while keeping the chatbot useful, responsive, and clearly separated from sponsored content.