{
  "id": 7900985,
  "title": "OpenAI Tests Sponsored AI Agents in ChatGPT Ads",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/openai-tests-sponsored-ai-agents-in-chatgpt-ads",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-16T23:24:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PYMNTS",
    "slug": "pymnts",
    "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/artificial-intelligence/2026/openai-tests-sponsored-ai-agents-in-chatgpt-ads/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "OpenAI is piloting sponsored AI agents within ChatGPT advertisements, according to a Sept. 16 blog post. These agents, known as Sponsored Agents, engage with users who click on an ad in ChatGPT, offering a separate conversation experience from the original chat and ChatGPT's independent responses. The aim is to facilitate product and service discovery for users and empower businesses to assist interested customers explore their offerings, per the post. OpenAI states that Sponsored Agents give users the option to delve deeper into a topic after seeing a relevant ad. Users can initiate a conversation with a business-sponsored agent, explain their requirements, ask follow-up questions, and link to the business's website when they're ready to proceed.\n\nThis initiative is part of several new AI-powered experiences OpenAI is introducing to bolster its ad platform, as stated in the post. Additionally, OpenAI is simplifying the ad creation process for businesses by enabling them to craft prompts in ChatGPT Work, incorporating new AI creative tools into Ads Manager, and integrating ChatGPT into other business tools through partnerships with HubSpot and Shopify, as per the post. OpenAI emphasizes that as individuals increasingly rely on AI to find products, compare options, and make decisions, they're devising new ways for people and businesses to connect in an AI-native environment and for businesses to leverage AI in creating and managing their ads.\n\nIn January, OpenAI announced the rollout of ads in ChatGPT in the United States, with testing commencing weeks later. By Aug. 31, OpenAI revealed that its ChatGPT Ads business had achieved an annualized revenue run rate of $1 billion. As of the press release, the ChatGPT Ads platform serves tens of thousands of advertisers and continues to expand globally. Starting later today, advertisers can purchase ChatGPT ads directly via Ads Manager across India, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. The article \"OpenAI Tests Sponsored AI Agents in ChatGPT Ads\" was initially published on PYMNTS.com.",
  "summary": "OpenAI is testing business-sponsored artificial intelligence agents that will have conversations with people who click on an ad in ChatGPT, the company said in a Wednesday (Sept. 16) blog post. These Sponsored Agents are being tested with select advertisers in the United States, and their conversations will be separate from the original conversation in ChatGPT […] The post OpenAI Tests Sponsored…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}