OpenAI is expanding its advertising offerings on ChatGPT through new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features. On Wednesday (16th), the company began testing so-called Sponsored Agents, which are company-sponsored agents that can interact with users after they click on an ad displayed in the chatbot.
Currently, this functionality is being implemented with selected advertisers in the United States. According to OpenAI, if a user views a relevant advertisement, they will have the option to start a clearly marked conversation with the company-funded agent. The goal is to enable the individual to ask supplementary questions about the advertised product or service, detail their needs, and subsequently access the company's website via a provided link.
OpenAI clarifies that interactions conducted with the Sponsored Agents will be kept separate from both ChatGPT's autonomous responses and the initial conversation established by the user themselves.
AI-Based Advertising Strategy
This change integrates into a broader strategy by the company, aiming to convert ChatGPT into an AI-based advertising platform. In addition to sponsored agents, OpenAI has also launched tools designed to simplify the creation, maintenance, and analysis of advertising campaigns.
With the Ads Manager plugin integrated into ChatGPT, advertisers will be able to use natural language commands to transform a brief or a website into a complete campaign, monitor ad performance, and receive suggestions on the next steps to take.
More Information:
Merchants based in the United States who already use Shopify will gain access to a new application called ChatGPT Ads. This application will allow for the integration of their product catalogs and measurement tools, as well as enabling the creation and tracking of campaign results. OpenAI reported that this application will be launched internationally on September 23rd in markets where ChatGPT Ads is available.
For OpenAI, these modifications reflect how consumers are using AI systems to research items, compare alternatives, and make purchasing decisions. The company plans to act on both ends of this process: in the interaction of users with companies within AI environments and in how advertisers build and manage their campaigns.
This initiative signals an expansion in OpenAI's commercial presence in the AI-based advertising sector, offering tools to advertisers while testing a method of direct contact between consumers and brand-sponsored agents within ChatGPT.