OpenAI to expand advertising pilot to Korea and 4 other nations

OpenAI is set to expand its nascent advertising program to five new markets, including Korea, the United Kingdom and Japan, as the artificial intelligence (AI) heavyweight seeks to monetize its sprawling free-user base. The company announced Thursday that it would begin testing sponsored content in Brazil and Mexico within the coming weeks. The move marks the first major international push for a pilot program currently restricted to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The expansion is specifically aimed at adult users on the platform’s "Free" and "Go" subscription tiers. While OpenAI rose to prominence on the promise of an ad-free, utility-driven interface, the shift underscores the mounting pressure on AI developers to offset the staggering computational costs required to maintain their models. "As businesses show strong interest in connecting with users in dialogue-driven and purpose-led environments, we are expanding the regions where we are testing ChatGPT ads," said Dave Dugan, OpenAI’s vice president of global ad solutions. "We will continue to prioritize use