OpenAI announced it would be bringing ads to the interface of ChatGPT. The move would first target adults in the US using the tool’s free tier and its $8-per-month ‘ChatGPT Go’ subscription. Many are describing this as a pivotal moment for GenAI as ChatGPT becomes the first large language model (LLM) to introduce ads to its conversational chat. FutureWeek spoke to leaders in search to gauge its impact for advertisers.
Julaine Speight, Marketing Director, First Internet
“ChatGPT introducing ads doesn’t change the fundamentals of search, it simply changes the wrapper. The same dynamics we see in Google Search and Google Ads will apply here: some users will avoid paid placements on principle, others won’t care or pay attention to the fact that they’re even ads, if the answer is useful and relevant. What’s more interesting is format. People use generative AI for long-form, nuanced answers stitched together from multiple sources, without having to review multiple sources themselves, so ads that feel bolted-on will fail fast. Success will depend on how seamlessly paid content blends into genuinely helpful responses.
“Despite the noise, this isn’t a threat to Google, it’s a complementary channel. The core principles of intent, relevance and trust still win. Brands that already understand user need and answer it well will benefit most. Those chasing attention without value should probably sit this one out.”
Will Fleming, Head of Paid Media, I-COM
“The introduction of ads in ChatGPT (and other AI-powered search engines such as Perplexity) signals a fundamental shift from keyword-led search to intent-led discovery. For advertisers, this could be less about replacing Google and more about recognising that consumer journeys are fragmenting. People are now asking AI for advice, comparison, and validation before they ever “search.”
“Brands will need to rethink search strategy around influence, not just ‘last click targeting’. As GenAI tools monetise, success will depend on being contextually useful within conversations, rather than simply bidding on demand. In that sense, ChatGPT advertising could be complementary to traditional search, capturing higher-funnel, exploratory intent that Google Search has historically struggled to serve.
“Advertisers with complex products, longer consideration cycles, or strong brand narratives should benefit most. However, targeting and measurement will likely be very probabilistic, focused on intent signals and ‘down the funnel’ impact rather than keywords and immediate clicks.
“Creatively, brands will need to move away from rigid, CTA-driven ad copy and towards conversational, value-driven messaging that feels native to how people ask questions and how they now expect AI to answer them.”
Ben Gibson, UK CEO, Cosmo5
“The introduction of ads in ChatGPT isn’t notable simply because advertising is arriving, but because of the model it signals. Ads are now appearing alongside a single, authoritative response rather than a list of options, which means they sit inside the decision itself, not just around it. We’re seeing something similar with Google’s announcement of Direct Offers in AI Mode. In both cases, conversational interfaces demand a different standard. Advertising only works when it aligns closely to intent, timing and context, not simply because it occupies a visible position.
“For advertisers, this means visibility is moving upstream, and success will depend as much on how AI systems understand and represent a brand organically as on paid placements. There is little value in being prominent in ads if the underlying AI narrative about your brand is weak or negative. As GenAI begins to monetise attention, brands will need to focus less on chasing channels and more on earning trust inside AI led journeys, because that is increasingly where decisions are being shaped.”
Elie Berreby, Head of SEO & AI Search, Adorama
“The introduction of ads means the users who have carelessly overshared should rethink their search habits. Millions have shared their personal habits, dreams and objectives with ChatGPT and progressively, each individual profile with a rich depth of data will be monetised with extremely targeted ads. Organic results both in search engines and AI models will always win over paid results because humans will always be suspicious of “sponsored” results: when we know the content was paid for, the trust goes down. And vice-versa.
“ChatGPT initially captured a lot of informational search queries. But Google is fighting back and its Gemini models are better than the OpenAI models. Because Google is the undisputed search leader in terms of market share, Google will simply continue to embed its Gemini models on top of the organic and paid search results to re-capture those informational search queries and, over time, Google (Alphabet) will get ahead of ChatGPT.
“Short-term, both will co-exist but the introduction of ads into ChatGPT will undoubtedly frustrate a lot of users and if the frustration is too high, they’ll bounce. Google has a wealth of user data dating back over 2 decades. Both LLMs and search engines such as Google Search target user intent extremely well because both have been using Natural Language Processing for years. The main difference is that on Google Search, people still use keywords while on ChatGPT or Gemini, the search queries are longer, more precise and they usually form full sentences.”
