OpenAI is expanding advertising on ChatGPT to 26 additional countries, including Pakistan, as it seeks to grow revenue. The expansion brings the total number of markets offering ChatGPT ads to 89. The company announced the move on Wednesday as it develops its advertising business ahead of a potential stock market listing.
OpenAI said its advertising business reached an annualised revenue run rate of $1 billion in August. The company began testing advertisements on ChatGPT in the United States earlier this year. Since then, more than 100,000 advertisers have run campaigns on the platform, according to OpenAI.
Read more: OpenAI launches ChatGPT Work for workplace automation
The latest expansion covers markets across Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Fourteen additional Latin American countries will join the programme. These include Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, following earlier launches in Mexico and Brazil.
Several other countries will also gain access to ChatGPT advertising. The newly included markets feature Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The expansion allows advertisers to reach users across a wider range of international markets.
Advertisers in the new markets can access ChatGPT advertising through technology partners. OpenAI will also offer self-service access through its advertising management platform. These options provide businesses with different ways to run campaigns on the service.
Read more: OpenAI brings more interactive visuals to ChatGPT
However, advertisements will not appear across every ChatGPT subscription. OpenAI said ads would appear only on its Free and Go plans. Subscribers using Plus, Pro and Enterprise will continue to access ChatGPT without advertisements.
The expansion follows other steps by OpenAI to develop its advertising operations. In September, the company introduced artificial intelligence tools for advertisers. It also began testing business-sponsored agents with selected advertisers in the United States. The latest rollout broadens the company’s advertising reach as it explores additional revenue opportunities.