OpenAI is turning ChatGPT ads into conversations

OpenAI is adding conversational ads, AI-powered campaign creation and new HubSpot and Shopify integrations as it builds out ChatGPT into a broader advertising platform.

What’s new. OpenAI is testing “Sponsored Agents,” which let users start a separate, clearly labeled conversation with a business-sponsored agent after seeing an ad in ChatGPT.

How it works. Someone who sees an ad for a product could ask the sponsored agent follow-up questions about features, sizing, compatibility or other considerations, then follow a link to the advertiser’s website when they’re ready to take the next step.

The key distinction. OpenAI says conversations with Sponsored Agents are separate from ChatGPT’s independent answers and from the user’s original ChatGPT conversation. The company has previously said advertising doesn’t influence ChatGPT’s answers and that advertisers don’t get access to users’ private conversations.

Where it stands. Sponsored Agents are being tested with select U.S. advertisers. OpenAI is also accepting interest from businesses looking to participate in future Sponsored Agent testing.

Meanwhile. OpenAI is bringing more of the campaign workflow into AI. Advertisers can use natural-language prompts in ChatGPT Work to create, update and analyze campaigns through an Ads Manager plugin — potentially turning a website or campaign brief into an advertising campaign without navigating a traditional ads interface.

Inside Ads Manager. OpenAI is also adding AI assistance that can suggest ad copy and imagery based on an advertiser’s landing page and campaign objective. Advertisers can review and edit the generated creative before deciding whether to use it.

Going further. Advertisers can opt into AI-powered text customization that adapts existing headlines and descriptions to the context of a conversation and translates copy into a user’s preferred language.

Why we care. The combination could compress several parts of the advertising workflow: campaign creation, creative development, optimization and analysis into conversational prompts, while opening a new ad format built around dialogue rather than a click alone.

And it’s coming to existing marketing stacks. OpenAI is integrating its advertising tools with HubSpot and Shopify, its first CRM and ecommerce partners for ChatGPT Ads, respectively.

For HubSpot users. Businesses can connect a ChatGPT Ads account with their customer context, bringing advertising workflows closer to CRM data and lead follow-up. OpenAI already offers a broader HubSpot plugin that can bring HubSpot context into ChatGPT workflows.

For Shopify merchants. U.S. merchants can use a ChatGPT Ads app to create and manage campaigns and monitor performance. Shopify product data is already integrated into ChatGPT through Shopify Catalog, which OpenAI says helps merchants’ products appear more accurately in relevant shopping conversations.

The bigger picture. OpenAI has been steadily building the infrastructure of a conventional advertising platform, adding self-service Ads Manager, CPC buying, conversion optimization, measurement and targeting while trying to make the actual ad experience native to conversational AI.

Dig deeper. Reimagining advertising with AI