The OpenAI is testing with selected advertisers a new advertising format on ChatGPT in which the click does not direct the user to the brand's website. Instead, the ad opens a conversation within the platform itself with an AI agent configured by the advertiser, according to reporting published by Digiday on Sunday (14).
In the tests, the ad may display a call-to-action such as “Chat with us” and take the user to a chat identified with the brand, where the agent answers questions and helps with the purchase decision.
The Wayfair confirmed participation in the so-called Sponsored Agent pilot. The retailer said that the test takes place on a limited scale and includes controls related to the accuracy of product information, transparency, and handoff of service to human teams when necessary.
The format keeps the purchase journey inside ChatGPT
The model changes a central step of digital advertising: instead of using the ad to drive traffic to a landing page or online store, part of the commercial interaction takes place inside ChatGPT itself.
OpenAI had already signaled this direction in January, when it said that conversational interfaces could allow users to ask questions directly to ads during a purchase decision.
On September 8, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar also said that the current ads displayed below ChatGPT's responses were just a starting point and that the company had not yet launched a truly AI-native format.
It is still unclear how many advertisers are participating in the test or when the Sponsored Agent could be expanded.
