OpenAI is pushing back on claims that it is running ad experiments inside ChatGPT. The statement follows reports from paid subscribers who said they recently saw a prompt inside the interface that read, “Shop for home and groceries. Connect Target.” The prompt appeared to ask users to link ChatGPT to retail partner Target, which led to speculation that OpenAI had started testing sponsored shopping features.

In a post on X, ChatGPT Product Manager Nick Turley said there was confusion about what people thought they saw. According to Turley, “There are no live tests for ads. Any screenshots you have seen are either not real or not ads.” He added that if OpenAI ever decides to pursue ads, the company would take what he described as a thoughtful approach because people rely on ChatGPT.

The discussion continued when a user asked for clarification on X. Mark Chen, OpenAI’s Chief Research Officer, said the company has already turned off the feature that triggered the confusion. Chen said OpenAI is working to improve the model’s precision so that similar suggestions do not appear unintentionally. He also said the company is exploring settings that would allow users to reduce or completely disable this type of recommendation.

The timing raises more questions about OpenAI’s monetization 

There have been conversations recently around how OpenAI plans to monetize the chatbot. Last week, code strings found in a ChatGPT Android beta build pointed to early indicators of search ads and shopping results. The discovery suggested that OpenAI has at least explored ways to surface commercial content.

However, according to further reports, an internal memo from CEO Sam Altman marked a “code red” inside the company. The memo reportedly shifts resources toward improving the core AI system that powers ChatGPT. According to the report, this shift pushed several ongoing initiatives to the side, including the company’s early exploration of ads.

Why advertisers and marketers are watching this

The fact that code for ad formats exists in the Android beta shows that the company has been considering multiple monetization paths. Advertisers and marketers are watching closely because any ad product inside ChatGPT would create a new category of conversational ad inventory.

The conversation around ChatGPT and ads matters because AI platforms continue to shape how people search for information and make purchase decisions. Even without formal advertising, ChatGPT already influences product discovery through conversational suggestions like its Shopping Research, which enables users to find and compare products through personalized buyer's guides. This is similar to the way search engines show product carousels or answer boxes that guide people toward specific categories.

OpenAI has also discussed the financial reality behind its products. The company faces rising operational costs due to the scale of its AI systems, and there is ongoing pressure to build stronger revenue streams. If the chatbot eventually opens paid placements or sponsored suggestions, it could compete with Google and other AI companies.

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