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OpenAI is serving ads inside ChatGPT, and new findings suggest the experience looks quite different from what the company originally envisioned. What's happening. Research from AI ad intelligence firm Adthena has identified the first confirmed ads appearing on ChatGPT for signed-in desktop users in the U.S. The big surprise. Early speculation suggested ads would only surface after extended back-and-forth conversations. That's not what's happening. When a user asked "What's the best way to book a weekend away?", sponsored placements appeared immediately -- on the very first response. What they look like. The ads feature a prominent brand favicon and a clear "Sponsored" label, a design that differs slightly from the concepts OpenAI had previously shared publicly. ChatGpt AdsChatGpt Ads Why we care. ChatGPT is one of the most visited sites on the internet. Ads appearing in its responses marks a significant moment for the future of AI monetization -- and a potential shift in how brands reach consumers at the point of inquiry. Between the lines. The immediacy of the ad trigger suggests OpenAI is treating single, high-intent prompts -- not just sustained conversations -- as viable ad inventory. That's a meaningful strategic signal for advertisers evaluating where to place budget. The bottom line. ChatGPT's ad era has quietly begun. For marketers, the question is no longer if they need an AI search strategy -- it's whether they're already late. First spotted. CMO of Adthena, Ashley Fletcher shared his team spotting the ads on LinkedIn. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Search Engine Land is owned by Semrush. We remain committed to providing high-quality coverage of marketing topics. Unless otherwise noted, this page's content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc. --------------------------------------------------------------------- About the Author Anu AdegbolaAnu Adegbola Anu Adegbola Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more. In 2008, Anu started her career delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side. Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event - PPC Live and host of weekly podcast PPC Live The Podcast. She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US, UK, Munich, Berlin), Friends of Search (Amsterdam, NL), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna, IT) and more. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Find Your SEO Issues in 30 Seconds Free technical audit shows what's blocking your search visibility. 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