Sponsored Agents add a conversational step

OpenAI is testing Sponsored Agents, a new advertising experience that lets people begin a conversation with a business-sponsored agent after clicking an ad in ChatGPT. The feature is being tested with select advertisers in the United States.

The company says users will be able to ask follow-up questions, explain what matters to them, and explore whether a product or service fits their needs. A person considering a dining table, for example, could ask whether it fits a particular space, how many people it seats, or how to care for its finish before visiting the advertiser’s website.

Sponsored Agent conversations will be clearly labeled and separate from ChatGPT’s independent answers and from the original conversation a user started in ChatGPT. OpenAI describes the format as a way for interested customers to get more information through a personalized exchange without treating the sponsored interaction as an independent ChatGPT response.

Natural-language tools target campaign work

OpenAI is also adding AI assistance for the operational work involved in building and managing campaigns. Advertisers can use natural-language prompts directly in ChatGPT with the Ads Manager plugin to create, update, and analyze campaigns.

The tools can turn a website or advertising brief into a campaign, help businesses understand performance, and provide recommendations for possible next steps. OpenAI presents the approach as a way to reduce the time spent translating campaign requirements into platform actions and reviewing results.

The company is rolling out AI assistance within Ads Manager as well. When drafting an ad, advertisers can receive suggested copy and imagery based on their landing page and campaign objective. They remain responsible for reviewing and editing those suggestions before deciding whether to add them to a campaign.

Optional text customization adapts ad copy

Advertisers can also opt into AI-powered text customization. When enabled, the feature adapts existing headlines and descriptions to better match the context of a conversation and automatically translates ad copy into a user’s preferred language.

OpenAI says this capability is optional, preserving advertiser control over whether existing campaign text is adjusted. The company’s announcement does not state that the feature applies automatically to every advertiser or campaign.

HubSpot and Shopify connect existing workflows

To make the advertising channel easier to adopt, OpenAI is integrating ChatGPT Ads with HubSpot and Shopify. The two companies are its first CRM and ecommerce partners for these integrations.

Businesses that manage customer relationships in HubSpot can connect a ChatGPT Ads account, create ads, track performance, and follow up on leads directly in HubSpot using their HubSpot context. OpenAI says the HubSpot functionality is available from the announcement date.

US-based Shopify merchants can use the new ChatGPT Ads app in the Shopify App Store to create and manage campaigns. Products are already integrated through Shopify Catalog, allowing merchants to begin running ads and tracking performance, according to OpenAI. The app is scheduled to become available internationally in markets where ChatGPT Ads are available starting September 23.

OpenAI emphasizes unchanged advertising principles

OpenAI frames the updates as an effort to develop an AI-native advertising platform on both sides of the interaction: helping people discover products and compare options, while giving businesses AI tools to create and manage campaigns.

The company says its advertising principles remain unchanged and that protecting users’ trust in ChatGPT remains its guiding priority. It also distinguishes Sponsored Agent conversations from ChatGPT’s independent answers, a separation that OpenAI identifies as part of the new experience.

Businesses can sign up through OpenAI’s advertising platform. Eligible businesses can also get started through the ChatGPT Ads app for Shopify or the ChatGPT Ads app in HubSpot, with availability subject to the markets and eligibility described by the company.

Sources

• OpenAI NewsReimagining advertising with AI