OpenAI to test visual ads inside ChatGPT’s image generator this month

OpenAI announced on October 5, 2026 that it will begin testing a visual ad format in ChatGPT later this month. The test is set to run in the United States with an initial group of advertisers. What OpenAI is actually testing The new format plugs into ChatGPT’s image generation feature. Instead of plain text placements, these ads will show images built around a product: inspiration for it, examples of it in use, or the experience it is meant to deliver. OpenAI says the ads will be clearly labeled and kept distinctly separate from the images the AI generates for the user. Paid content sits next to your output rather than inside it, so the picture you requested is not reshaped by whoever bought the placement. Alongside the new format, OpenAI is upgrading its measurement tools. It is also working with partners including Hightouch, Tealium, and DoubleVerify to help advertisers track campaign performance and brand safety. The numbers behind the pitch ChatGPT reaches 1.2 billion weekly users, which puts it firmly in the conversation as a major advertising platform. Early partner data gives brands a second reason to look. WeightWatchers reported a 15.3% lower attributed cost per acquisitio...