OpenAI is signaling early momentum in its advertising business, with executives reporting that users are increasingly engaging with ads inside ChatGPT rather than dismissing them — a key metric as the company builds a new revenue stream beyond subscriptions and enterprise AI.
What’s happening. OpenAI says the rate at which users dismiss ads within ChatGPT has fallen by 50% since the company launched its advertising business in February. The company views ad dismissals as a proxy for relevance, making the decline an indication that users are finding the ads they encounter more useful and aligned with their interests.
The update was shared by OpenAI Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser.
Why we care. With data suggesting users becoming more receptive to ads within ChatGPT, conversational AI could improve it’s viability of being a new advertising channel. A 50% reduction in ad dismissals indicates improving relevance and engagement, potentially giving brands an opportunity to reach consumers in high-intent, task-oriented moments rather than through traditional interruptive ad formats.
Why relevance matters. Unlike traditional display advertising, ads within AI experiences face a higher bar for usefulness. Users typically engage with ChatGPT to accomplish a task, answer a question or solve a problem. Ads that feel disconnected from that experience risk creating friction and undermining trust.
According to Dresser, improving relevance has been a central focus.
- “This form factor is about usefulness,” she said. “That’s great for the consumer, great for the user.”
The bigger picture. The results offer an early glimpse into how advertising may evolve inside generative AI platforms. Rather than interrupting content consumption, AI-powered advertising is increasingly focused on integrating with user intent and ongoing conversations. Success may depend less on grabbing attention and more on delivering recommendations that users find genuinely helpful.
The lower dismissal rates suggest OpenAI is making progress toward that goal.
Competition extends beyond advertising. The advertising update comes as OpenAI continues expanding its business on multiple fronts. While building an ads business, the company is also competing aggressively for enterprise AI spending, where rivals such as Anthropic are fighting for market share among corporate customers.
That creates pressure for OpenAI to diversify revenue streams while maintaining a positive user experience across consumer and enterprise products.
What to watch. If OpenAI can continue improving ad relevance while maintaining engagement, ChatGPT could emerge as a meaningful new advertising platform — and offer an early blueprint for how ads function in conversational AI environments.
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