ChatGPT ads are spreading to 26 more countries

OpenAI is rolling out ads in ChatGPT to 26 more countries. The company announced the expansion on Wednesday, Oct. 21. It also said more than 100,000 advertisers have already run campaigns on the chatbot.

What changed

The new countries include 14 in Latin America, such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru. That follows earlier launches in Mexico and Brazil. Ads are also reaching more markets in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, including Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The report gives two totals. The opening says the expansion brings ads to 80 countries. A quote from OpenAI's announcement says 89. The material does not explain the gap.

Who sees the ads

Ads appear only on the Free and Go plans. Plus, Pro and Enterprise subscriptions stay ad-free, according to OpenAI. The company says advertising helps pay for free and low-cost access to ChatGPT around the world.

Why advertisers are interested

Ad income reached a pace of $1 billion a year in under 200 days, OpenAI said in September. Fortune reported that OpenAI is on track for $2.5 billion in booked ad revenue this year. It said that took Google's ad business around four years.

Research from PYMNTS Intelligence helps explain the appeal:

• 80% of people who use AI tools have tried ChatGPT, versus 48% for Google Gemini and 30% for Microsoft Copilot.
• About 25% of consumers are now "mainstream" or "power" AI users.
• ChatGPT's share of consumer product research rose from 2% to 30% over two years.

What happens next

OpenAI says its next phase includes new ad formats, goals for campaigns, buying options and ways to measure results. It also wants to explore more native ways for businesses to reach people inside ChatGPT. The material does not say what the ads look like or what new formats will arrive.

For free users, ads are likely to become more common. For business owners, ChatGPT is becoming another place to reach shoppers who start their buying research there.