OpenAI began trialing advertising inside its generative AI service ChatGPT in Japan on June 19, 2026 (Japan time). The test targets logged-in adult users on the Free plan and the lower-priced paid plan ChatGPT Go, while higher tiers will not display ads.
June 18, 2026 · ChatGPT
"Sponsored" Ads Arrive Beneath ChatGPT Answers in Japan
OpenAI begins testing text ads under responses for logged-in adult users on the free and low-cost plans — selected by conversation context, kept separate from the answers themselves.
2
plans show ads: Free + ChatGPT Go
5
paid tiers stay ad-free: Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, Education
¥1,400
per month — reported ChatGPT Go price in Japan
Who sees the ads
2 plans
Free + Go → ads shown
5 plans
Paid tiers → ad-free
How an ad surfaces
User asks a question
→
Topic + chat history matched
→
"Sponsored" text ad below the answer
Ads never influence the response. Conversations are not shared with advertisers — they receive only aggregated impressions and clicks. Not shown to under-18s or near sensitive topics (health, mental health, politics).
Supportive view
Ads seen as relevant and not overly intrusive; revenue helps sustain free and low-cost access. Early U.S. tests showed no hit to trust metrics and low ad-hide rates.
Concerns
Worries about impact on free users, a degraded conversation experience, and accuracy of Japanese-language responses — plus resigned "ads after all" reactions.
Users can hide ads, give feedback, delete data and manage personalization.
The Japan pilot follows tests in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand; OpenAI plans to adjust behavior based on feedback gathered during the rollout.
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