ChatGPT’s 800 Million Weekly Users — Is the “Ad-Free Era” Ending? Internal Leak Reveals OpenAI Plans to Add Ads to ChatGPT
Can You Accept a ChatGPT with Ads?
In late 2022, ChatGPT used its “free + jaw‑dropping experience” strategy to attract millions into the AI era. Over the past two years, it has largely operated under “high‑usage + low commercialization”, with only paid subscriptions and the GPT Store — no visible ads for regular users.
Now, that ad‑free era might be ending, as signs point to a purpose‑built advertising system emerging within the ChatGPT ecosystem.
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Emerging Signs of an Ad System in ChatGPT
Beta Leak from ChatGPT Android App
Recently, leaks from the ChatGPT Android beta revealed new parameters linked to advertising.
These fields include:
- `ads feature` — advertising functionality
- `bazaar content` — marketplace/shop content
- `search ad` — search‑based ads
- `search ads carousel` — scrolling carousel format for ads
Source: AIPRM Chief Engineer Tibor Blaho on X:
The leak came from ChatGPT Android v1.2025.329 (beta), where these fields suggest ads would first appear inside ChatGPT Search. The `search ads carousel` points to a display style similar to Google — ads placed at the top or interspersed within search results in a scrollable format.
➡ Implication: ChatGPT’s Q&A + Search experience could start looking like an AI-powered version of Google Search, but with far deeper personalization
— not limited to your search keywords, but informed by your full interaction history.
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Why ChatGPT Could Out‑Advertise Google
Google’s ad dominance comes from capturing search intent. In the AI-native era, ChatGPT knows more than what you search — it understands:
- Your knowledge level and learning progress
- Your buying habits and budget
- Your communication style
- Your project goals
- Your career context
- Even your mood and urgency
Example:
- You type “Recommend a monitor” → ChatGPT recalls your earlier notes: “budget-conscious” and “for coding + gaming.”
- You ask “I’m learning Python, what laptop should I buy?” → ChatGPT can create a custom recommendation list based on your stated preferences and past discussions.
This context‑rich, long‑term memory approach can dramatically improve ad targeting without storing “personal data” in a traditional sense.
Such conversion potential could be unprecedented — and may explain OpenAI’s move towards an advertising model.
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ChatGPT Already Has the Traffic for Ads
Despite assumptions that traffic slowed after 2023’s hype, usage has actually accelerated:
- Nov 2023: 100M weekly active users
- Late 2024: 300M weekly active users
- Oct 2024 (DevDay): 800M weekly active users
Independent estimates:
- 5–6 billion monthly visits
- 2.5 billion daily prompts
- India has overtaken the US as biggest user base
➡ Result: ChatGPT has the scale, activity, and interaction depth to challenge Google as the next‑generation ad platform — with higher precision and better conversion rates.
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Possible Future: ChatGPT as the World’s Largest AI Information Gateway
If ads roll out at scale, ChatGPT could evolve into:
- AI-native advertising platform
- Commercial recommendation gateway
- Consumer behavior trigger point
This could reshape industries dominated by Google, Amazon, Meta, etc.
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Implications for Creators and Businesses
As AI-powered personalization meets monetization, platforms for AI-driven content creation and distribution become more valuable.
Example: AiToEarn — an open‑source, global AI content monetization platform — enables creators to:
- Generate and publish AI content
- Distribute across platforms (Douyin, Kwai, WeChat, Bilibili, Rednote, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, X/Twitter)
- Analyze audience engagement
- Use AI model rankings (rank.aitoearn.ai) to compare performance
Such tools could help brands and creators thrive in the coming AI + ads ecosystem.
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Discussion
Would you accept ChatGPT with ads?
Will AI advertising merely change the industry… or redefine it completely?
Reference: BleepingComputer Leak Article
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Recommended Reading
- The Father of C++ to Visit Beijing — Agenda for the Most Worthwhile Systems Software Tech Conference in the AI-Native Era
- “Abandon Office in 18 Months!” — Why This Tech Giant Still Can’t Escape Microsoft
- Selling Company Data for $25K? Employee Insider Scandal Raises Pay Gap Debate
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Event Spotlight: 2025 Global C++ and Systems Software Technology Conference
- Year: Marks the 40th anniversary of C++ and the 20th anniversary of this global conference
- Special Guest: Bjarne Stroustrup, creator of C++
- Focus: Live discussions with top engineers, compiler experts, and AI infrastructure researchers
Key Themes
- Modern C++ best practices
- Architecture evolution
- Software quality & security
- R&D efficiency
- AI-driven software development
- Performance optimization & concurrency
- Embedded & system-level computing
Full details: https://cpp-summit.org/
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In an era where ChatGPT may become a primary advertising gateway, platforms like AiToEarn enable creators to rapidly adapt and monetize AI-powered content.
Question: Will ChatGPT ads plus AI content platforms transform the ad industry — or create an entirely new digital ecosystem?
