OpenAI tests conversational AI ads

OpenAI is testing ads that let you chat with a company’s sponsored agent inside ChatGPT. The idea is for advertising to go beyond a click: after seeing a product, you can ask questions, compare options, and decide whether you want to visit the business’s website.

The test is being run with selected advertisers in the United States. The agent will be clearly identified as sponsored and will operate separately from ChatGPT’s independent responses and the user’s original conversation.

From ad to conversation

Imagine you see an ad for a dining table. Instead of being sent directly to a product page, you can ask whether it will fit in your space, how many people can sit at it, or how to care for the finish. The company’s agent will answer and offer you a link to its website when you are ready to continue.

The difference matters: the ad stops being just an image or a short message and becomes a gateway to a conversation. That can help answer questions before you buy, although the agent’s responses will still represent the business sponsoring it, not ChatGPT as an independent source.

Sponsored Agents let people explore an offer through a personalized conversation with a company.

Create campaigns with written instructions

OpenAI is also adding tools so companies can create and manage campaigns using natural language. With the Ads Manager add-on for ChatGPT, advertisers will be able to:

• Turn a website or brief into a campaign.
• Create and update ads by writing simple instructions.
• Analyze a campaign’s performance.
• Receive recommendations on next steps.

Ads Manager will also offer copy and image suggestions based on the landing page and the campaign objective. The company will be able to review and edit those proposals before adding them to the ad.

In addition, advertisers will be able to activate an automatic copy personalization feature. It adapts headlines and descriptions to the context of the conversation and translates the content into the user’s preferred language. The option will be voluntary.

Integration with HubSpot and Shopify

OpenAI wants companies to be able to use ChatGPT Ads without rebuilding their processes from scratch. That is why it has announced integrations with HubSpot, its first CRM partner, and Shopify, its first e-commerce partner.

Companies that manage their customers in HubSpot will be able to connect their ChatGPT Ads account, create campaigns, track results, and manage contact with potential customers from the platform itself, using the information available in HubSpot.

Shopify merchants in the United States can already use the ChatGPT Ads app available in the Shopify store. Their products connect through Shopify Catalog, allowing them to create campaigns and check their performance. The app will reach other markets where ChatGPT Ads is available starting September 23.

What changes for you

For now, the most visible change will be limited because sponsored agents are only being tested with selected advertisers in the United States. If the feature expands, you may find ads inside ChatGPT that not only direct you to a store, but also answer questions about its products.

OpenAI says its advertising principles are not changing and that maintaining user trust remains its priority. The point to watch will be how ChatGPT’s responses are separated in practice from a company’s paid recommendations.

The direction is clear: OpenAI is building an advertising platform adapted to AI, both for people discovering products and for those selling them. The next step will be to see whether these conversations really help people make better decisions without turning ChatGPT into a storefront that is difficult to distinguish from an independent assistant.