Articles · AI Design
While ChatGPT draws your picture, an ad appears beside it
On October 5, OpenAI announced image ads that appear in ChatGPT's image generation screen. Here's the eight months from text ads to image ads, and what it means for designers, both the new work and the things to watch out for.
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On October 5, OpenAI announced a new ad format for ChatGPT. While ChatGPT generates an image, an image ad appears beside it.
ChatGPT has 1.2 billion weekly users, and many of them come to make pictures. For OpenAI, the few seconds people spend waiting for an image to render are some of the longest they look at the screen. Now there's an ad slot there.
First, a disclaimer. The test starts in late October, so nobody has seen a real ad yet. What follows is based on OpenAI's announcement and articles covering it. I'll also note that I'm building this site with Claude Code.
Where it goes, and how
The ad sits in a separate spot from the image you asked for. OpenAI made three promises. Ads are clearly labeled. They're kept apart from your image so the two don't blend. And ads don't influence ChatGPT's answers.
What's interesting is the kind of ad. OpenAI describes images that inspire, show the product in context, or tell the story of the experience it makes possible. Ask for a campsite and a lantern in use might appear next to it. Less a banner, more a tile on a mood board.
From text ads to image ads
ChatGPT ads didn't appear out of nowhere. They've been expanding step by step since February.
On February 9, text ads began for US users on the Free and Go plans. On May 5, Ads Manager opened so anyone could run ads themselves. Meanwhile the list of countries grew to include the UK, Canada and Australia. Alongside this announcement came more than ten new partners for measuring ad results. It's a sign the ad business is being built out in earnest.
Who will see them
| Ads shown? | |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Go plan ($8/month) | Yes |
| Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, Edu | No |
| Accounts identified as under 18 | No |
| Sensitive conversations | Blocked, per OpenAI |
Sources: OpenAI Help, Ads in ChatGPT, TechCrunch. The test starts in the US with an initial group of advertisers.
What it means for designers
A new ad placement appears. Where there are advertisers, someone has to make the creative. This format differs from banners so far. It sits right beside the picture the user just asked for, so a photo that blends naturally into that scene will likely beat a loud discount message. One image that fits next to someone drawing "a campsite at dusk". The eye for shooting and choosing styled lifestyle shots, more than plain product photos, starts to matter.
References and ads share one screen. On the other hand, designers who use ChatGPT for mood boards or early directions have something to watch. Real brands' product photos will sit next to your images under the name "inspiration". Even with clear labels, once you collect and save many images, it's easy to lose track of which you made and which was an ad. Pass an ad image along as a reference and you're using someone else's brand photo.
One more difference between free and paid. Until now, paid plans meant better models and more usage. Now add "no ads next to your images". If you often share your screen while making drafts in front of clients, that difference may matter more than you'd think.
So, for now
Outside the US, nothing changes yet. But given how text ads spread from the US to other countries within months, image ads will likely widen before long.
Here's what's worth setting up now.
- Rules for your mood board folder. When collecting AI images, get in the habit of downloading rather than screenshotting. It keeps ads from slipping into captures.
- Use a paid account for client demos. It's better to avoid other brands' ads popping up on a free account's screen.
- If you make ad creative. Try drafting with the constraint of one image placed next to an image request. Even for the same product, a photo that explains and a photo that fits are different.
How AI tools are moving into the design workflow is covered in what designers should take from DevDay, and whether AI images can be used in your work is in Can you use AI-generated images in client work?.
Sources: TechCrunch, OpenAI Help, WinBuzzer, Android Headlines, CNBC (weekly users), Honeyb (February launch).