OpenAI will activate advertising in ChatGPT across 31 European markets starting Monday, August 24, marking the company's largest geographic expansion of its ad business since testing began in the United States in February 2026.
The rollout covers Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and other nations spanning the European Economic Area and Switzerland. Ads will appear only in ChatGPT Free and the entry-level ChatGPT Go subscription, priced around 7 euros monthly, separated from responses by a gray line. Advertisers will not receive access to user chat histories.
OpenAI has partnered with agencies including Publicis, WPP, and Omnicom for the European launch. The move follows a strategic shift by CEO Sam Altman, who was previously opposed to advertising before expressing openness to the model in late 2025. The company, which plans a future stock exchange listing, estimates over 80 percent of its billion monthly users rely on the free tier.