OpenAI is testing a new advertising format in the United States that displays product carousels within the image generation loading screen. These ads appear while the chatbot processes a request and are clearly labelled as sponsored content separate from the final output. The campaign launches later this month with a select group of advertisers who will see products shown in use or associated experiences. This approach expands on existing advertising efforts that began in February across more than 40 countries.
The initiative supports OpenAI’s broader financial strategy, which currently generates an annualised revenue run rate of $1 billion from ads alone. The company targets $100 billion in ad revenue by 2030, driven by its weekly reach of 1.2 billion people despite low subscription penetration. OpenAI is simultaneously expanding measurement tools through partners like Hightouch, Tealium, and LiveRamp to track conversions accurately. Brand safety protocols include pilot programs with DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science to evaluate the ad environment without accessing user conversations. Select advertisers can also configure negative keywords to prevent ads from appearing in unsuitable contexts.
- Initial rollout targets US users only
- Revenue target is $100 billion by 2030
- Weekly active users stand at 1.2 billion
