OpenAI Denies Rolling out Ads on ChatGPT App

In Brief

• OpenAI has denied introducing ads in the ChatGPT app after screenshots sparked rumors.
• Users questioned the denial due to conflicting statements and circulating screenshots.
• The controversy comes as competition in the AI sector intensifies threatening OpenAI’s place.

Shedrach Kongvong 2025-12-07

OpenAI has cleared the air about ads in its ChatGPT app, saying it has not rolled out ads on the app yet. The company said this in response to rumors circulating with screenshots of what appear to be ads-related.

In an X post on 7 December, OpenAI Vice President and head of ChatGPT app Nick Turley said the company would be more thoughtful in its pursuit of ads to retain the trust of its users, implying that it is not responsible for what is going around.

I'm seeing lots of confusion about ads rumors in ChatGPT. There are no live tests for ads – any screenshots you’ve seen are either not real or not ads. If we do pursue ads, we’ll take a thoughtful approach. People trust ChatGPT and anything we do will be designed to respect that.

— Nick Turley (@nickaturley) December 6, 2025

ChatGPT Users Don’t Believe OpenAI

OpenAI was reported to be planning targeted ads in its app in November. At the time, the news generated backlash and criticisms from users who compared the outcome to Meta’s data-driven ad model which shows users ads specifically tailored to their preferences based on their use history.

Although the company did not specify a date for introducing the ads, the new rumors have become quite believable to users, and the denial of such ads is now being rejected. One of the OpenAI followers on X responded with another screenshot as proof that the ad concerns were legitimate.

"It's not an ad if we just keep repeating that it's not an ad."

Ad

You guys literally announced a partnership with Target right before this. You're handling this very badly and people are noticing. pic.twitter.com/mQhxNSwboS

— Benjamin De Kraker (@BenjaminDEKR) December 6, 2025

In the screenshot, you could see instructions on how to connect to Target for ads, which makes it difficult to believe OpenAI’s denial. The company’s Chief Research Officer had earlier admitted that OpenAI fell short in handling ad-related issues, adding that such suggestions had been turned off. This contradicts what the head of ChatGPT app later said.

At this rate, OpenAI seems to be losing the trust of users as there are many complications around the allegations. Users further criticized the company for denying the presence of ads instead of admitting that there was a confusing user interface leading to the mixup.

OpenAI Needs to Watch or Lose the AI Game

The race to win the AI game is getting more heated by the day and OpenAI, which was once a top contender is quickly losing support from its users due to trust issues. The company was initially launched as a non-profit, but recently revealed plans to start generating revenue.

Meanwhile, Chinese AI company DeepSeek recently launched a new, powerful AI model that it says can compete with ChatGPT and Gemini 3 in key metrics. With so many good options, OpenAI must work harder to earn trust or stand to lose.