OpenAI is accelerating its path to advertising monetization. According to reports, this AI giant has opened its doors to dozens of advertisers and launched a brand-new chatbot advertising service.

The interesting part lies in the pricing model. Unlike the traditional pay-per-click approach used by Google and Amazon, OpenAI is taking a different route, billing directly based on the number of ad impressions. The logic is straightforward: users see the ads and money is made; whether they click or not doesn't matter.

Currently, the scale of testing is tightly controlled. Only a few early testers are involved, and OpenAI requires each to spend no more than $1 million during the several-week trial period. The ads are scheduled to go live in early February. However, there is a gap—OpenAI has not yet implemented a self-service purchasing system. In other words, advertisers currently cannot manage their campaigns independently and must wait for the technology to catch up.

Behind this cautious rollout strategy is a balancing act. On one hand, OpenAI is eager to generate new revenue through advertising and shopping features; on the other hand, they are wary of aggressive ad placements alienating users who find chatbot ads annoying. That’s why they are adopting a gradual and refined approach.