Subscribers of the paid ChatGPT version encountered messages promoting companies such as Peloton and Target. This triggered a wave of outrage, as many perceived it as the introduction of advertisements within the service they are paying for.
OpenAI leadership, including Research Director Mark Chen, responded to user complaints. The company stated it was testing methods for showcasing applications built on the ChatGPT platform. However, OpenAI asserted that the tests lacked any “financial component.” ChatGPT head Nick F. also emphasized that rumors about advertising in ChatGPT are untrue.
Nevertheless, Mark Chen conceded that the company made a mistake and apologized for the intrusiveness of the suggestions: “I agree that anything that feels like an ad needs to be handled with care, and we missed the mark.” He added that displaying such suggestions was temporarily disabled to improve model accuracy. Furthermore, OpenAI is considering adding user preferences that would allow disabling such prompts.
Earlier this year, Fidji Simo, former executive at Instacart and Facebook*, took the role of Chief Applications Officer at OpenAI. It was anticipated that she would focus on developing the company’s advertising direction. However, according to the Wall Street Journal, a recent memo from Sam Altman declared a “code red,” prioritizing the enhancement of ChatGPT’s quality, pushing other products, including advertising, into the background.
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