ChatGPT Doesn't Have Ads: Here's Why Some Users Think It Does

By Chris Smith
The ChatGPT logo on a computer. aileenchik/Shutterstock

Ads have appeared in conversations and leaks about the ChatGPT experience for a while now, but the chatbot doesn't feature any form of advertising as of this writing. Even ChatGPT Free accounts can use the chatbot without having to deal with any sort of ads, though recent developments indicated the Free tier would eventually get advertising, just like other free AI products from the competition. That said, some people believe that ChatGPT already displays ads, complaining about the experience on social media. TechCrunch reports that Hyperbolic co-founder Yuchen Jin shared a screenshot on X which shows a chat with ChatGPT where the chatbot suggested the Peloton app to the user. It happened in a conversation that had nothing to do with fitness and exercising.

"Wow, ChatGPT is already showing ads?" Jin asked, before explaining his experience. "I was just talking with it about Elon on Nikhil's podcast when out of nowhere it popped up an ad saying, 'Find a fitness class, Connect Peloton.' Wild. At least match the ad to the topic next time!" The post received over 480,000 views on X as of this writing. While the Peloton inclusion in the chat looks like an ad, as seen in the screenshot above, this isn't advertising. It's just a new ChatGPT experience where the AI will suggest apps available to users inside chats. That said, the Peloton choice doesn't make sense, given the topic.

OpenAI's ChatGPT data lead Daniel McAuley confirmed on X that these sightings are not ads. They don't feature a financial component. "It's only a suggestion to install Peloton's app. But the lack of relevancy makes it a bad/confusing experience. We're iterating on the suggestions and UX, trying to make sure they're awesome," he continued.

When will ChatGPT show ads?

AI apps on an iPhone, including ChatGPT. Alexsl/Getty Images

The timing of the unexpected Peloton app recommendation couldn't have been worse for OpenAI. A few days ago, a discovery in a beta version of the ChatGPT app for Android suggested the arrival of ads was imminent. OpenAI was testing ad experiences in the Android app, according to those findings. However, other reports then detailed Sam Altman's ChatGPT "code red" internal memo, a company-wide email that urged a refocus on improving the chatbot before rolling out other products or services. Altman sounded the alarm days after Google made waves in the AI industry with the new Gemini 3 chatbot and the Nano Banana Pro image generator.

The reports detailing Altman's memo said that OpenAI would soon unveil a new reasoning model for ChatGPT that will surpass Gemini 3's performance. They also said that features like ads in ChatGPT have been postponed, implying the recently discovered Android tests will not lead to an imminent announcement. However, it's likely that OpenAI will bring ads to the ChatGPT Free experience in the future. It's one way to increase revenue for a company that's yet to be profitable, despite the popularity of ChatGPT.

The Peloton app recommendation mishap is still useful for both ChatGPT users and OpenAI. First, users will be more aware that ChatGPT can run third-party apps. Recent leaks have also shown that OpenAI may soon release a built-in application storefront for apps that can work in ChatGPT. The AI may suggest even more apps in conversations in the future. By then, OpenAI may want to rethink the user interface for app suggestions so it doesn't mislead users and make them think they're dealing with unwanted ads.

Recommended