OpenAI Exploring New Advertising Models
Last Updated on February 19, 2025
The brains behind ChatGPT, OpenAI, is reportedly exploring ways of incorporating fresh advertising models into its platform. With the company looking to diversify and increase its revenue, the Silicon Valley firm is said to have recruited a string of specialists in digital advertising from tech giants like Google and Meta.
With OpenAI transitioning into a publicly listed, for-profit operation, the introduction of targeted advertising based on AI search terms has been discussed by the firm’s chief financial officer, Sarah Friar. Ms Friar disclosed in a recent interview with the Financial Times that the company was weighing up “when and where” target advertising could be integrated.
Friar clearing up her interview comments still leaves the marketing industry curious
After opening a new can of worms surrounding OpenAI’s plans, Friar appeared to row back on her comments in a later statement, insisting the form had “no active plans to pursue advertising” for the meantime. However, it’s no coincidence that the firm’s chief product officer, Kevin Weil, was the mastermind behind new ad-supported products for social media channels like X and Instagram.
Another challenger AI-powered search engine, Perplexity, has already started to pilot its own targeted advertising relating to users’ search requests. The success of this could be enough to convince Friar and Weil that the time is right for OpenAI to go down a similar path.
What OpenAI can learn from digital marketing in the 21st century
There’s no doubt that digital marketing has been one of the major advancements of the post-21st century internet, ushering in a new wave of service-based industries, not least the e-commerce sector. With portals like Amazon and Shopify leading the charge, e-commerce needs digital marketing to increase exposure and power conversions. A blend of paid advertising, search and social influencer collaborations is all part of one successful marketing campaign mix these days.
Then there’s the need for transparency in terms of reviews, pricing and returns policies. Transparency is equally important in other digital industries like iGaming, where competition is rife. While online casinos embark on aggressive and creative digital marketing campaigns to entice players to their platforms in a saturated market, transparency and integrity is mission-critical for these brands.
Even affiliate marketers in the industry take their role very seriously in providing a trustworthy place for new and existing bettors to find recommendations for casinos and games with no hidden agendas. KingCasinoBonus is a prime example of an iGaming comparison portal which places significant emphasis on operational transparency, maintaining strict editorial guidelines to prevent conflicts of interest. The end goal being to retain the brand’s neutrality as an iGaming expert.
The EdTech sector is another digital space where marketing is essential to showcase the value propositions of online course leaders. This, combined with social media campaigns and free trial offers, gives potential students around the world an opportunity to get a feel for the course content with no pressure.
If there’s one thing that OpenAI must learn before embedding digital marketing within its mix is that credibility and engagement is key. Misleading ads or hidden terms can lead to reputational damage, making openness not only a moral imperative but a commercial necessity. When you consider the scepticism some users already have of artificial intelligence, it’s going to be vital for OpenAI to use tact and integrity when unveiling its next wave of innovations which could put even the likes of Google on the back foot.
