Do you use ChatGPT’s free version? It now has a major catch

OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, said on Friday it will start including ads for those who use the app for free, or have the cheapest subscription, ChatGPT Go.

In the coming weeks, the company plans to start testing those ads in the U.S., which will directly relate to user prompts and conversations, “so more people can benefit from our tools with fewer usage limits or without having to pay,” the company said.

According to OpenAI, the ads will be “clearly labeled” at the bottom of the chat and users can turn off personalization if they want.

As for whether the ads will influence the answers ChatGPT provides, OpenAI said the “responses are driven by what’s objectively useful, never by advertising,” and user data and conversations “are protected and never sold to advertisers.”

ChatGPT Go, which launched in India last August and has since rolled out in 170 countries, is now coming to the U.S. and everywhere the AI chatbot is available. It’s ChatGPT’s fastest-growing plan, and OpenAI claims it is “among the most affordable AI subscriptions globally.” (Of course, many AI chatbots are free.)

ChatGPT Go costs $8 a month, and offers access to its latest model, GPT‑5.2 Instant, giving users expanded access to messaging, image creation, file uploads, and memory, the company said in a statement.

For those who want to avoid ads, more premium subscriptions such as ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Pro come ad-free.

With this launch, ChatGPT now offers three subscription tiers globally: ChatGPT Go at $8 per month; ChatGPT Plus at $20 per month; and ChatGPT Pro at $200 per month.