On May 7, 2026 (US time), OpenAI said it would expand the ChatGPT in-product ads pilot, currently running in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, to five additional markets — Japan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Korea and Mexico — over the coming weeks[1][2]. In parallel, OpenAI opened a beta of its own ChatGPT Ads Manager in the US, adding cost-per-click (CPC) bidding and measurement tools such as a Conversions API[3][4].

Ads test extends to Japan and four other markets

The pilot is being added in Japan, the UK, Brazil, South Korea and Mexico. OpenAI describes the rollout as one it intends to expand "thoughtfully," using the same specifications already in place in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand[1][2].

Ads remain limited to free-tier users and to subscribers of the lower-priced "ChatGPT Go" plan. Paid tiers — ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education — continue to be ad-free. Ads are explicitly labeled "Sponsored" and visually separated from ChatGPT's organic answers[2].

Existing safeguards remain in place: ads are not shown to users predicted to be under 18 and are excluded from sensitive or regulated topics such as health, mental health and politics[2]. ChatGPT's answers are not influenced by ads, and advertisers do not receive chat content, memory or personal details — only aggregate metrics such as impressions and clicks[2].

Self-serve Ads Manager, CPC bidding and measurement tools in the US

Alongside the geographic expansion, OpenAI opened a beta of the ChatGPT Ads Manager to US advertisers. Where the early pilot ran through a small set of agency partners, the new tool lets US businesses sign up directly and handle campaign creation, budget management, delivery and optimization on their own[3][4].

The pilot was originally CPM-based; CPC bidding is the new addition, and OpenAI has said both pricing models will continue to be offered side by side[4]. CPC makes ChatGPT ads feel closer to a search or social-style performance channel, which is a key reason marketers have been waiting for the feature[4].

For measurement, OpenAI added a Conversions API and pixel-based tracking, allowing advertisers to attribute downstream conversions on their own sites to ChatGPT ad exposure[4]. Agency partners include Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis and WPP, and technology partners include Adobe, Criteo, Kargo, Pacvue and StackAdapt[3].

What changes for users — and how to opt out

For free and Go users, sponsored slots will sit alongside ChatGPT replies. Ads are matched against the topic of the conversation, prior chats, and how the user has reacted to past ads (dismiss, tap, etc.). OpenAI repeatedly stresses that the matching is done on its side and that advertisers are not given individual conversations or memory[2].

User-side controls have been broadened. Users can mute specific ads, send feedback, delete ad data with one tap, and turn off ad personalization itself in-app. Switching to a paid plan (Plus, Pro, Business and so on) removes ads entirely. In addition, free and Go users can opt to disable ads in exchange for a lower daily message cap[5].

OpenAI has also lowered the minimum spend requirement for the Ads Manager so that small businesses and individual brands can run experiments without large upfront commitments[3]. For Japan specifically, the combination of free/Go reach and CPC measurement means advertisers can now begin testing real purchase-funnel paths starting from ChatGPT.

Summary

The ChatGPT ads pilot is moving beyond the Americas and Oceania into Japan and other major markets, while the US is getting OpenAI's own Ads Manager, CPC bidding and a Conversions API. Free and Go users will see ads; paid tiers remain ad-free. For both users and advertisers in Japan, generative AI advertising has now arrived as a concrete, testable channel.

出典:[1] OpenAI Product Releases「Testing ads in ChatGPT」 https://openai.com/news/product-releases/

出典:[2] Axios「OpenAI brings ads to ChatGPT Go and Free tiers」 https://www.axios.com/2026/02/09/chatgpt-ads-testing-go-free

出典:[3] OpenAI「New ways to buy ChatGPT ads」 https://openai.com/index/new-ways-to-buy-chatgpt-ads/

出典:[4] Search Engine Journal「OpenAI Launches Self-Serve Ads Manager for ChatGPT」 https://www.searchenginejournal.com/openai-launches-self-serve-ads-manager-for-chatgpt/573971/

出典:[5] Digiday「'Expand thoughtfully': OpenAI offers ChatGPT ads to new markets including the U.K., Brazil and Japan」 https://digiday.com/media-buying/expand-thoughtfully-openai-offers-chatgpt-ads-to-new-markets-including-the-u-k-brazil-and-japan/