The news: OpenAI backed up its first Cannes Lions ad pitch with two early signals that ChatGPT ads are gaining traction with users and advertisers.

• Chief revenue officer Denise Dresser noted a 50% decrease in how many users close out of ChatGPT ads since its ad pilots launched in February, according to Adweek—indicating improvements in ad relevance on the platform.
• VP and head of global ads David Dugan said about 20% of the questions users ask ChatGPT have commercial intent—and an even larger percentage have commercial potential.

Much like OpenAI's presence at Cannes, AI chatbot ads are a highly nascent and developing format. Whether or not OpenAI can prove the effectiveness of these ads will be essential in determining whether the company can reach its ambitious goal of $100 billion in ad revenues by 2030.

OpenAI builds its strategy: OpenAI is trying to address lingering questions by building out the ad infrastructure around ChatGPT.

• OpenAI launched a self-service ads manager in the US in April, allowing advertisers to buy and manage ads directly in a layout similar to Google Ads.
• Partnerships with adtech firms like Criteo and StackAdapt have helped legitimize OpenAI’s offerings, offering familiar workflows and infrastructure to wary brands.
• The company continues lowering barriers to entry for participating in its ad pilot; minimum spending is now $50,000, but brands purchasing ad space through Criteo see minimum spending as low as $10,000.
• OpenAI also expanded user data sharing in May with an updated privacy policy enabling sharing of limited user data with marketers, with the goal of improving ad targeting and campaign measurement without sharing user conversations.

Implications for marketers: OpenAI’s Cannes announcements could indicate that its broader ad strategy and continuous updates are beginning to yield results, and is a step toward fleshing out relationships with brands. Lower close rates combined with ChatGPT’s ability to attract users with commercial intent suggest the platform could become a meaningful performance channel if OpenAI can prove that results are strong and sustainable.

For now, ChatGPT ads remain more of an experimental opportunity than a proven performance channel. Brands with flexible test budgets may benefit from early access to a potentially high-intent environment, but broader adoption will depend on OpenAI’s ability to show outcomes.

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