OpenAI's new sponsored agents are happy to chat about selling you things

OpenAI is testing a new type of agent on ChatGPT known as Sponsored Agents, which are advertiser-backed bots designed to sell products during custom conversations. These agents appear uninvited in users' ChatGPT experiences, much like intrusive ads on websites. Upon encountering a relevant sponsored ad, users can initiate a clearly labeled conversation with a business-sponsored agent within ChatGPT.

The agent then guides the user through a series of questions and even provides a link to the advertiser's website when the user is prepared to take the next step. For instance, a user seeking a recipe may be redirected to an ad for a subscription meal kit, with the sponsored agent offering options on the fastest weeknight meal kit preparation.

OpenAI highlights this feature as an opportunity for businesses to engage interested customers through personalized conversations. Additionally, OpenAI unveiled new AI advertising tools, including an Ads Manager plugin that enables advertisers to create, update, and analyze campaigns using natural-language prompts directly within ChatGPT.

This means businesses can generate suggested copy and imagery based on their landing page and campaign objectives, eliminating the need for an advertising professional. Furthermore, HubSpot users and Shopify merchants will also benefit from the integration of ChatGPT ads connections, allowing more businesses to place ads in front of ChatGPT users.

OpenAI emphasizes that these developments represent their commitment to building an advertising platform centered around AI, resulting in a future where users will encounter even more sloppily generated, artificial content.