OpenAI says brand mentions seen by users were not ads but part of an experiment showcasing third-party apps.
Executives admit the suggestions resembled ads and have paused them while improving accuracy.
Plans for an ad-driven business are reportedly on hold as OpenAI prioritises improving ChatGPT’s overall quality.
OpenAI has once again cleared the air regarding the ChatGPT ad speculations that have been circulating on the internet. In a statement, OpenAI stated that several paying subscribers who reported seeing what appeared to be promotional messages within the platform were not advertising or testing advertising features. According to the senior executives, the recent suggestions shown to users missed the mark.
SurveyThe issue gained attention after users shared screenshots of ChatGPT recommending brands such as Peloton and others. Now, the AI giant has clarified that these were not paid promotions, but rather part of an experiment highlighting third-party apps built on the ChatGPT platform that was launched in October, an experiment that the company insists had no commercial component. Despite that explanation, many subscribers reacted negatively, accusing OpenAI of undermining the experience for paying users.
Nick Turley, who leads ChatGPT, attempted to quell the confusion, stating that there are no live tests for ads and that any circulating screenshots are misleading or misunderstood. He also added that if OpenAI ever chooses to explore advertising, the approach would be carefully designed to maintain user trust.
However, chief research officer Mark Chen stated something else. Chen acknowledged that certain suggestions that were delivered by the model may have resembled advertisements and conceded that OpenAI fell short in how they were presented. As per him, the company has now disabled these types of suggestions while it works on improving accuracy and plans to introduce more granular controls so users can reduce or turn off such recommendations.
This comes amid OpenAI’s plans for an advertising-driven business. Previously, the company hired former Instacart and Facebook executive Fidji Simo as CEO of Applications, a move widely interpreted as an ambition to introduce ads on the platform. However, the company, as per a Wall Street Journal report, has put a temporary pause on such efforts, declaring code red internally and directing teams to prioritise ChatGPT’s overall quality before expanding to new products, including ads.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
