German data-protection specialist Ayten Öksüz says OpenAI has enabled ads in ChatGPT in more than 30 European countries for free and Go users, and urges people to question AI advice and avoid sharing confidential or highly sensitive information.
OpenAI says ads will be clearly labelled and kept separate from responses. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans are exempt, as are accounts believed to belong to users under 18. Öksüz says ads for products discussed in a chat could blur the line between promotion and the chatbot’s response, and recommends checking AI claims against other sources. She cautions that chatbot advice is not automatically the best or most neutral.
Users can activate an ad-free version in settings, but Öksüz says this comes with further restrictions on message limits. OpenAI is testing a feature with selected US advertisers that would let users who see ads contact sponsored AI agents for more information. Critics have called the ad model a conflict of interest; a January analysis by The Conversation said engagement incentives can reward misleading, emotionally charged or health-harmful content.
