OpenAI’s Nick Turley denies rumours of advertising tests in ChatGPT

New Delhi: Nick Turley, VP and head of the ChatGPT app, has publicly dismissed speculation that OpenAI has begun testing advertisements within ChatGPT, following online debate and circulating screenshots that suggested otherwise.

In a post on X, Turley wrote, "I'm seeing lots of confusion about ads rumors in ChatGPT. There are no live tests for ads, any screenshots you’ve seen are either not real or not ads. If we do pursue ads, we’ll take a thoughtful approach. People trust ChatGPT and anything we do will be designed to respect that."

I'm seeing lots of confusion about ads rumors in ChatGPT. There are no live tests for ads – any screenshots you’ve seen are either not real or not ads. If we do pursue ads, we’ll take a thoughtful approach. People trust ChatGPT and anything we do will be designed to respect that.

— Nick Turley (@nickaturley) December 6, 2025

His comments arrive days after reports suggested that OpenAI was reassessing whether advertising could become part of ChatGPT’s future. An internal memo, cited by The Information, indicated that CEO Sam Altman had declared a “code red” to prioritise improvements to the chatbot, while pushing other initiatives down the queue. 

Although OpenAI has not confirmed any advertising rollout, the company was reported to be exploring formats including shopping-related placements.

The discussions described in those reports pointed to a possible change in OpenAI’s business model, which currently relies on subscription products such as ChatGPT Plus and enterprise partnerships. 

Altman has shared ambivalent views. On the Lex Fridman Podcast, he said he “kind of hates ads just as an aesthetic choice,” preferring a paid model where “users know that the answers they’re getting are not influenced by advertisers.”

Yet he has also acknowledged that well-executed advertising can work for consumers, noting in an interview earlier this year: “I think ads on Instagram are kind of cool, I’ve bought a bunch of stuff from them. But it would take a lot of care to get right.”