Ad-ificial Intelligence Has Entered the Chat

Remember when Sam Altman called AI advertising “uniquely unsettling” and a “last resort”? Well, the last resort has arrived, and it’s scaling fast.

Open AI kicked off its ads pilot in February for logged-in U.S. users on the Free and Go tiers (Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise stay ad-free). As of March 26, the pilot is officially expanding to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with more markets teased for later this year.

The catch? This isn’t cheap real estate. Early reports peg the beta at ~$60 CPM with a $200k minimum commitment (roughly 3x Meta’s average rates). Ads are clearly labeled, kept separate from answers, and advertisers don’t get access to chat logs.

The big takeaway: Paid visibility in AI won’t rescue brands that are invisible organically. The winners will be the ones already cited by AI models, thanks to structured, authoritative content built well before the first bid. Audit your AI presence now, while the auction floor is still quiet.