Starting August 24, OpenAI will begin showing ads to ChatGPT users in Europe. The advertising program will launch in 31 countries in the region, bringing the total number of markets where the company places ads in the chatbot to 40. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Euronews.

Ads will only be available to users of the ChatGPT Free and Go tiers. Subscribers to Plus, Pro, and Enterprise will not see ads.

OpenAI expects the new format to allow advertisers to reach users at the moment they are searching for information, comparing options, or making a purchase decision.

The company began testing ads in ChatGPT in the US in February 2026. The program was later expanded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea.

OpenAI claims that ads will be clearly labeled and separated from chatbot responses. The company also states that advertisers do not get access to user conversations, and ad content does not influence ChatGPT's responses.

"Ads in ChatGPT are always clearly labeled and separated from ChatGPT responses, and advertising messages do not influence what responses ChatGPT gives," the company said in a statement.

Users will be able to control ad personalization. They can opt out of ads entirely by choosing a more expensive ad-free tier or by using the ad-free version of the free plan available in settings, which has lower limits.

The launch of ads has already drawn criticism. In particular, some users of the US Go tier, which costs $8 per month, were unhappy that ads appeared even in the paid subscription.

In January, US Senator Ed Markey also reached out to tech company leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. He expressed concerns that ads inside AI chatbots could exploit users' trust in such services, especially during conversations on sensitive topics such as health or politics.

The rollout of the ad program to the European market could attract the attention of EU regulators.

One key issue relates to the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. The law prohibits the use of AI systems that employ manipulative techniques or exploit human vulnerabilities if this could cause significant harm.

Experts note that in the case of conversational AI, drawing the line between ordinary advertising and personalized influence may be more difficult. An ad appearing directly within a dialogue may be perceived differently than a typical banner ad or a sponsored link in search results.

Meanwhile, there is virtually no practice of applying European legislation to ads inside AI chatbots.

Another issue concerns the Digital Services Act (DSA). The European Commission is considering recognizing ChatGPT's search functions as a very large online search engine.

This status applies to services with more than 45 million active users in the EU per month.

In that case, OpenAI could face additional requirements, including annual risk assessments, independent audits, publication of an ad registry, and closer cooperation with European regulators.