ChatGPT ads come to Pakistan: free and Go users will see them, Plus stays ad-free

OpenAI is bringing ads to ChatGPT in Pakistan. The company named Pakistan among 26 new countries for ChatGPT Ads in an announcement on Wednesday 21 October, taking the ad programme to 89 countries about eight months after it launched. Bangladesh, Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia and 14 more Latin American countries, among them Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, are also in the new group. Reuters reported the expansion as part of OpenAI's push for new revenue.

Who will see ads in ChatGPT

Ads appear only on the Free and Go plans. Plus, Pro and Enterprise users do not see them, OpenAI said. The company says ads are labelled and kept separate from ChatGPT's answers, that advertisers do not influence what ChatGPT says, that conversations are kept private from advertisers, and that it does not sell user data.

OpenAI did not publish a start date for each country, so ads may appear gradually rather than for every Pakistani user at once.

What it means for Pakistani businesses

For the first time, a shop, brand or startup in Pakistan can advertise inside ChatGPT. OpenAI says advertisers can buy through technology partners or self-serve through Ads Manager at ads.openai.com, and that more than 100,000 advertisers have run campaigns since ads began. It did not give a minimum spend or Pakistan prices. It promised more ad formats, objectives, buying options and measurement in the next phase.

Ad platforms bill in dollars, so a budget's rupee cost moves with the exchange rate: today's rate is on our US dollar to rupee page, and the currency converter turns any dollar budget into rupees. Freelancers and agencies who earn from running these campaigns for foreign clients can work out what they owe with our freelancer tax calculator.

Why OpenAI is doing this

Reuters reported that OpenAI is building up its advertising business to boost revenue ahead of a potential stock market listing. Most ChatGPT users are on the free tiers, which is where the ads go.

How to avoid ads

On OpenAI's terms, the only way to use ChatGPT without ads is a paid plan above Go, such as Plus. Free and Go users will see labelled ads where they are served.