OpenAI begins testing ads inside ChatGPT in the US - could India be next?
The US-only tests mark a shift toward monetising free users at scale - and India is the AI app's largest free-first market.
The tests, currently limited to the United States, insert sponsored placements into the ChatGPT experience - a sharp break from the subscription-and-API model that has funded the company so far. OpenAI has not confirmed a timeline for wider rollout.
India is the obvious next market: it is ChatGPT's largest and fastest-growing user base, built almost entirely on free access. An ad-supported tier could dramatically expand monetisation - or test how much advertising the world's most price-sensitive internet users will tolerate.
India's AI startups and digital-advertising industry will be watching closely. If the model works, expect a wave of ad-supported AI assistants aimed at the same free-first audience.
