OpenAI is launching visual ads that will appear alongside image generation results in ChatGPT, the company announced on October 5. The ads will roll out in the United States later in October, marking the biggest step yet toward advertising revenue for the AI giant, which now serves 1.2 billion weekly users.

The company says the ads will be clearly labelled and kept separate from AI-generated content. Users on Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans will not see the ads. OpenAI has partnered with measurement firms DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science to give advertisers independent verification of ad placements.

The move puts OpenAI in direct competition with Google and Meta for ad dollars, but in a brand-new format: ads matched to what users are creating with AI. Privacy advocates will be watching how user prompts are used for targeting. OpenAI says the ads will respect its privacy standards, but the launch is likely to spark debate about commercialisation of AI chatbots.