OpenAI is rapidly building out its advertising business inside ChatGPT, and the cost of running ads there is already falling. The rate advertisers pay per thousand users — known as a CPM — dropped from $60 at launch to as low as $15 in some cases, depending on the platform used to buy the ads.
The minimum spend required to join the pilot has also fallen sharply, from $250,000 at launch to $50,000. That lower threshold opens the door to a wider pool of advertisers, which in turn puts downward pressure on prices.
OpenAI has since introduced a cost-per-click model alongside the existing CPM option. Advertisers can now set bids between $3 and $5 per click. Nicole Greene, vice president and analyst at Gartner, said this gives marketers a way to compare ChatGPT directly with other major platforms.
Several partners are involved in selling the ads. Criteo and StackAdapt are both active in the pilot. A pitch deck from StackAdapt describes the offering as a way to reach users while they are researching and comparing products.
The core challenge OpenAI faces is measurement. Advertisers currently have limited tools to verify whether a ChatGPT ad actually drives results. Robert Webster, founder of AI marketing consultancy TAU, said measurement — not the interface — is the real competitive moat. OpenAI is hiring its first advertising measurement leader and is developing conversion tracking and attribution tools to address the gap.
Sources: Digiday, AdWeek, Digiday
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