ChatGPT starts showing ads in India
What's the story
OpenAI may start showing ads on its ChatGPT platform in India. The company has been testing this feature in select regions for some time now. Users in India have received an email from OpenAI regarding the introduction of ads on ChatGPT as part of a wider rollout strategy. The email also details an update to the ChatGPT privacy policy, explaining how these ads work and how users can control their experience with them.
Plan details
Ads will be visible in some subscription plans
OpenAI's email clarified that ads would be visible in some plans but not all.
The Free and Go plans may show these ads, while Plus, Pro, Enterprise, Business, and Education plans won't.
To give you an idea of the pricing structure, the ChatGPT Go plan costs ₹399 per month while the ChatGPT Plus is priced at ₹1,999 per month.
Global expansion
Ads already live on ChatGPT in the US
OpenAI has already started showing ads on ChatGPT in the US. The company is also expanding this feature to other countries including the UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea.
It is also testing ads in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Despite these changes, OpenAI maintains that "ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you."
All ads will be marked as "sponsored" and visually separated from organic responses.
Data privacy
User data remains protected, assures OpenAI
OpenAI has assured users that their personal information and conversations with ChatGPT won't be shared with advertisers.
The company said, "Advertisers do not have access to your chats, chat history, memories, or personal details."
It also clarified that advertisers only get aggregate information about how their ads perform such as total views or clicks.
This way, user data remains protected while still allowing for some level of ad personalization based on interactions and chat context.