OpenAI has started rolling out ChatGPT ads in the UK, while also clarifying how its advertising model will comply with European privacy rules.
The move follows recent updates to OpenAI’s EU ads policy, added on 2 June, which set out how the company plans to handle consent, personalisation and data use for advertising across the region.
Under the updated policy, OpenAI says it will only personalise ads for Free and Go users when they have given consent. This means the company is relying on explicit user permission as the legal basis for processing personal data for personalised advertising, rather than using “legitimate interest”, which has often been a more disputed route for targeted ads under GDPR.
This distinction is important because consent under GDPR requires a clear action from the user. It also means users must be able to withdraw that consent at any time.
For users who agree to personalised ads, OpenAI says advertising may be based on signals such as previous ChatGPT conversations, memory, ad history and data supplied by advertisers. For users who do not give consent, ads will still be shown, but they will be more general. These ads may use limited contextual information, such as the current conversation, location or time of day, rather than a wider personal profile.
The UK launch appears to be an early-stage pilot rather than a full commercial rollout. OpenAI’s global head of ads, Dave Dugan, confirmed on LinkedIn that ChatGPT ads had launched in the UK, referencing work with Zalando. Dentsu has also confirmed that some of its clients are involved in the pilot.
The UK rollout appears to follow a similar pattern to OpenAI’s earlier US launch. When ads first appeared in the US in February, advertisers initially bought placements through OpenAI representatives before the company later introduced a self-serve ads manager.
That self-serve platform has not yet been made available directly to UK advertisers. At present, the ads manager is still limited to US users, although US advertisers can reportedly buy UK inventory through it. The UK has also recently appeared as an available market within the platform, suggesting OpenAI is preparing for a wider expansion.
For advertisers, the UK launch has created a sense of urgency. Agencies and brands are now assessing how ChatGPT ads could fit into their paid media strategies, especially as campaign activity is expected to increase during the early stages of the pilot.
The expansion also shows how quickly OpenAI is developing its advertising product. In the US, advertisers have reportedly gained access to additional controls, including daily campaign budgets and optional context hints. These hints allow advertisers to suggest the types of conversations, topics or keywords where their products or services may be relevant.
For OpenAI, advertising could become a major commercial opportunity. The company is under pressure to develop stronger revenue streams, and ads offer a potential route to scaling income beyond subscriptions and enterprise products. Reported projections suggest OpenAI could generate $2.5 billion in ad revenue by the end of the year, rising significantly by 2030.
However, the company’s approach in Europe will be closely watched. By making consent central to personalised ads, OpenAI is attempting to position its advertising model within the expectations of GDPR. The challenge will be balancing commercial growth with user trust, especially in a product where conversations can contain highly personal context.
