- AI Platforms & Assistants
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- ChatGPT
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ChatGPT users are not happy, and it's pretty easy to see why. Over the weekend, OpenAI quietly started testing app suggestions inside chats, and they’re already showing up for people who pay $200 every month for the Pro tier. The thing is, these "ads" aren't anything new, but they do point to a worrying future.
The moment the first screenshot hit social media, the backlash was instant, and while there hasn't been a full announcement from OpenAI yet, the company might need to backtrack if it wants to keep its most loyal user base.
If you’re paying premium money for an AI assistant, the last thing you want is something that looks and feels like an ad popping up mid-conversation, and the worrying thing is, it's just the beginning.
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An AI future with ads
ChatGPT has started posting ads on Pro accounts.I hope this is just testing/a mistake, else it's an instant unsubscribe from me. On the flipside, the ad seems completely unrelated to the chat.@sama don't do it! https://t.co/DovCmTihen pic.twitter.com/PCnnhvzyC5December 1, 2025
Kol Tregaskes took to X to share his frustrations, showcasing a screenshot of a ChatGPT Pro subscription with an app suggestion to "Find a fitness class" using Peloton. In the example, the user wasn't asking AI about Peloton, and the app suggestion had no relevance to the conversation.
This image comes just a few days after a leak suggested OpenAI was working on implementing ads following the discovery of text in the ChatGPT app. In the Android version of the world's most popular chatbot, a user found hidden code that refers to an "ads feature", some "bazaar content", a "search ad", and a "search ads carousel".
You could argue that ads in ChatGPT were to be expected, especially for users on the Free tier, but in no world should someone paying $200 a month experience adverts, and to be honest, neither should ChatGPT Plus subscribers paying $20 either.
The backlash
On Reddit, users are not happy with these ads that have popped up seemingly out of nowhere. One user said, "The ads thing is pretty b******t. I might just cancel my Pro subscription."
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Another added, "I have been seeing ads as a pro user for at least 2 to 3 days now. (UK user, so it may be region-specific at the moment)."
One user chose to clarify that these "ads" have been visible for a while now, "ChatGPT is not showing ads. I imagine this refers to this instance in which Pro users received app connection suggestions, but that is not new. If you are a designer, you may receive a Canva app connection suggestion, sure. But what people understand as ads is not this, and this is not new this week. What has been new is the leak showing OpenAI was preparing the actual ad rollout, but we have not seen it in practice."
While user sami_exploring is correct in their assessment of the situation, many still believe showcasing content unrelated to your prompts for companies is indeed an advertisement. We're not 100% sure how the full ChatGPT ad rollout will look, or if OpenAI will decide to go ahead with it completely. But one thing's sure, it's not looking good for ChatGPT subscribers, and let's hope the inclusion of ads doesn't start a ripple effect across the whole AI landscape.
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John-Anthony DisottoSocial Links NavigationSenior Writer AIJohn-Anthony Disotto is TechRadar's Senior Writer, AI, bringing you the latest news on, and comprehensive coverage of, tech's biggest buzzword. An expert on all things Apple, he was previously iMore's How To Editor, and has a monthly column in MacFormat. John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade, and is an award-winning journalist with years of experience in editorial.
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