ChatGPT's new ad format fills the image generation loading screen with product carousels
Jonathan Kemper View the LinkedIn Profile of Jonathan Kemper Oct 5, 2026ChatGPT users in the US will soon see display ads while the chatbot generates an image for them. The ads are labeled as advertising, kept separate from the generated image, and designed to show products in use or the experiences tied to them. OpenAI is launching the test later this month with an initial group of advertisers.

OpenAI is also expanding its measurement tools. Advertisers can send conversion data to ChatGPT Ads through Hightouch, Tealium, and LiveRamp, with attribution providers like AppsFlyer, Adjust, and Branch joining the mix. Through Haus, Measured, and WorkMagic, OpenAI is testing geo-based experiments to gauge actual ad impact. On the brand safety front, the company is running pilot programs with DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science that evaluate the ad environment without accessing real user conversations. Select advertisers can also set negative keywords to keep their ads from showing up in unsuitable conversations.
OpenAI has been running ads in ChatGPT since February, now in more than 40 countries, and has reached an annualized revenue run rate of $1 billion from ads alone. The company aims to hit $100 billion in ad revenue by 2030. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT reaches 1.2 billion people weekly, though earlier this year only about 5 percent of users were paying for a subscription.Ad
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Source: OpenAI