From chatbot to ad platform: OpenAI makes its case at Cannes

OpenAI used its debut at the Cannes Lions advertising festival to pitch ChatGPT as a new kind of ad platform, one built around user intent rather than keyword targeting. Peter Adams reports for Marketing Dive. The company told brand marketers and agencies that digital advertising is shifting from an attention economy to what it calls an “intelligence economy,” where chatbot interactions replace traditional search queries.

David Dugan, OpenAI’s head of global ads solutions, described ChatGPT users as “super intentional.” They arrive with a specific problem to solve and share detailed context in the process. According to Dugan, roughly 20% of ChatGPT queries carry direct commercial intent, making them attractive moments for advertisers to reach consumers who are actively comparing products or researching purchases.

Early signals and how the format works

ChatGPT ads launched in February 2025 and have since expanded to seven markets, including Japan and South Korea. Ads appear in a sponsored box below the chatbot’s organic responses and are served to users on the free and Go tiers. Ad tech partner Criteo reports that over 2,000 brands are now advertising through its ChatGPT integration.

OpenAI says cross-out rates, measuring how often users dismiss an ad, have dropped by 50% since launch. The company also reports no measurable drop in overall user engagement following ad exposure. Calls to action framed as direct responses to a user’s question outperform simple product listings, according to Dugan.

Trust, measurement, and what comes next

OpenAI outlined four principles for its ad business: keeping sponsored content separate from organic answers, not sharing conversation data with advertisers, allowing users to control their chat history, and focusing on long-term user value. The company has partnered with LiveRamp, Criteo, Adobe, and StackAdapt to build out measurement infrastructure. LiveRamp’s initial role is helping advertisers track conversions beyond browser-based methods.

Advertising revenue is also expected to play a role in OpenAI’s upcoming IPO narrative, as well as in funding features for free-tier users, such as additional daily image uploads.