OpenAI is reportedly considering introducing advertising to products like ChatGPT, as it weighs up alternative revenue streams.
The company has begun hiring advertising officers from companies like Meta and Google, according to the Financial Times. OpenAI is transitioning from a non-profit to a for-profit company.
“Our current business is experiencing rapid growth and we see significant opportunities within our existing business model. While we’re open to exploring other revenue streams in the future, we have no active plans to pursue advertising,” said OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar.
Friar told the Financial Times that if the company includes advertisements, it would be “thoughtful about when and where we implement them”.
OpenAI hired its first chief marketing officer this week. Kate Rouch, previously Coinbase’s chief marketing officer, will market OpenAI to both users and businesses.
The company is prepared to launch major marketing campaigns to rival those from AI competitors like Google and Perplexity, according to Rouch.
OpenAI's main revenue driver is its paid ChatGPT Plus service. The company expects around US$3.7 billion in sales this year, but a $5 billion loss due to high operating costs.
Its most recent funding round raised $6.6 billion in October, giving OpenAI an estimated $157 billion valuation.
Leaks from OpenAI’s website today refer to a potential “ChatGPT Pro” tier that would include unlimited access to voice features.
OpenAI has also been targeting the education market, having hired Coursera chief revenue officer Leah Belsky as its first education general manager in September. The company hopes educators will create customized versions of ChatGPT, and has been marketing its products to schools and universities.