OpenAI Tests Business-Sponsored AI Agents in ChatGPT Ads

OpenAI is testing business-sponsored AI agents inside ChatGPT Ads, letting users start separate conversations with advertisers after clicking an ad. The feature is being rolled out with select advertisers in the United States.

Sponsored conversations after ad clicks

In a Wednesday (Sept. 16) blog post, OpenAI said the Sponsored Agents conversation runs separately from the user’s original ChatGPT thread and from ChatGPT’s independent answers. The goal is to give users a clearer path to learn about products and services.

Users can ask follow-ups and visit advertiser sites

OpenAI said users can choose to begin a clearly labeled conversation with a business-sponsored agent in ChatGPT. Users can explain what matters to them, ask follow-up questions, and follow a link to the business’s website when they are ready to proceed.

More ad tools across ChatGPT and business platforms

OpenAI said the Sponsored Agents test is part of broader AI-powered updates to its ad platform. The company is also adding tools for businesses to create ads by writing prompts in ChatGPT Work, introducing new AI creative tools to Ads Manager, and bringing ChatGPT into other business tools through integrations with HubSpot and Shopify.

ChatGPT Ads expansion and revenue context

OpenAI previously said it was bringing ads to ChatGPT in the United States and would begin testing within weeks of that announcement. By Aug. 31, OpenAI reported its ChatGPT Ads business reached $1 billion in annualized revenue run rate, and said advertisers could purchase ChatGPT ads directly via Ads Manager across India, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa starting later that day.

Why it matters

The test shifts ChatGPT Ads toward a more interactive format, where advertisers can extend ad engagement into a labeled, separate conversation. It also expands the set of AI tools businesses can use to create and manage campaigns inside OpenAI’s ad stack.