Ad Code Found in ChatGPT Android Build, OpenAI Denies Current Advertising Tests

On 9 December 2025, reports surfaced that ad-related code was found in the ChatGPT Android build, specifically version 1.2025.329, prompting claims that OpenAI might be preparing an advertising system.

According to Tibor Blaho, chief engineer of the ChatGPT plugin tool AIPRM, several new code strings tied to an advertising framework surfaced in the app, including terms such as “marketplace content,” “search ads,” and “search ad carousels.” OpenAI product manager Nick Turley issued a statement, stating that “we are not currently testing any advertising features,” and later

argued that screenshots circulating online “are either fake or not advertisements at all.” He also noted that if OpenAI ever decided to introduce ads, they would be designed to respect user trust, adding that advertising is not off the table but would be approached with extreme care.

The article notes OpenAI’s large user base, with about 800 million weekly active users, and forecasts that by July this year 700 million users would send as many as 18 billion messages weekly, potentially informing any future monetisation strategy.