OpenAI has expanded ChatGPT Ads, the advertising feature built into ChatGPT, to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as Taiwan. The rollout brings the total number of countries where ChatGPT Ads is available to more than 60, and it introduces a self-service option that makes it easier for smaller businesses to start advertising.
Six new Southeast Asian markets plus Taiwan, over 60 countries total
ChatGPT Ads shows relevant products and services to users as they converse with ChatGPT. The feature had already launched in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and India, and this expansion adds several more markets across Asia. OpenAI says the product is now available in more than 60 countries worldwide, underscoring how quickly the conversational advertising format is scaling.
Self-service tools open the door to smaller advertisers
Until now, running ads on ChatGPT typically meant working directly with OpenAI or going through an advertising agency. In the newly added markets, eligible businesses can instead set up and manage their own campaigns through the Ads Manager dashboard. That lowers the barrier for startups and small businesses that don't have the budget or staff to work through a large agency.
OpenAI has also been building out its advertising technology partnerships. Ahead of the Southeast Asia expansion, an ad-tech company joined as a technology partner for ChatGPT Ads, including support for campaigns in Japan. Between agency relationships, the new self-service option, and technology partners, OpenAI is opening several different paths for advertisers of different sizes to get involved.
OpenAI has said ChatGPT Ads reached a $1 billion (about 159 billion yen) annualized revenue run rate in less than 200 days, with tens of thousands of advertisers now running campaigns across multiple countries.
Ads remain separate from ChatGPT's answers
Ads are shown only to users on the Free and Go plans; Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu subscribers don't see them at all. OpenAI says ads are clearly labeled and kept visually separate from ChatGPT's own responses, and that advertisers never get access to users' private conversations. As more people turn to AI assistants when comparing products or making purchase decisions, keeping that line between sponsored content and generated answers clear is likely to remain a priority as the ad business grows.
Southeast Asia is also becoming an early testing ground for how conversational ads perform compared with traditional search and social advertising. As usage data accumulates across markets with different languages and consumer habits, it should become clearer how well the format travels beyond the countries where it first launched.
Summary
OpenAI has expanded ChatGPT Ads to six Southeast Asian markets and Taiwan, bringing the total footprint to more than 60 countries. The update adds a self-service option for smaller advertisers, strengthens technology partnerships, and keeps ads clearly separated from ChatGPT's responses. How well conversational advertising takes hold in this new region will be worth watching in the months ahead.
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