September 16, 2026, (Inside AI) — OpenAI is testing Sponsored Agents, a new ad format that lets ChatGPT users start a conversation with a business-sponsored AI agent after clicking an ad. The company announced the feature alongside a broader suite of advertising tools, including natural-language campaign creation, AI-generated creative suggestions, and integrations with HubSpot and Shopify, its first CRM and ecommerce partners.
The Sponsored Agents pilot is live with select advertisers in the United States. The feature is designed to let users ask follow-up questions about a product, such as whether a dining table fits their space or how many people it seats. The conversation is clearly labeled and kept separate from the user's original ChatGPT session. For businesses, the agent acts as a conversational sales representative that can answer questions and link to a company's website.
OpenAI's move signals a strategic shift: the company is no longer treating advertising as a bolt-on to its subscription business. Instead, it is building an AI-native ad platform where the same language models that power ChatGPT also generate, target, and optimize ads. This puts OpenAI in direct competition with Google and Meta, which have spent years layering AI onto their existing ad systems.
AI Becomes The Ad Manager
Advertisers can now use the Ads Manager plugin in ChatGPT to create, update, and analyze campaigns through natural-language prompts. A user can turn a website or a brief into a full campaign, review performance data, and receive recommendations on next steps. OpenAI is also adding AI assistance directly into Ads Manager, where it suggests copy and imagery based on a landing page and campaign objective. Advertisers retain control and can edit or reject any suggestion before publishing.
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The company is also launching an opt-in feature for AI-powered text customization. When enabled, it adapts existing headlines and descriptions to match the context of a conversation and automatically translates ad copy into a user's preferred language. This level of dynamic creative optimization is not new to digital advertising, but embedding it inside a conversational AI interface is a different approach.
The HubSpot integration lets businesses connect a ChatGPT Ads account, create ads, track performance, and follow up on leads without leaving HubSpot. Shopify merchants in the United States can use a new ChatGPT Ads app in the Shopify App Store to create and manage campaigns. Products are already integrated through Shopify Catalog, so merchants can start running ads and tracking performance immediately. The Shopify app will expand to international markets where ChatGPT Ads are available starting September 23.
OpenAI's advertising push raises questions about how sponsored content will coexist with ChatGPT's core promise of neutral, helpful answers. The company says Sponsored Agents are distinct from ChatGPT's independent responses, but the line between advertising and assistance may blur as agents become more capable. Privacy advocates and regulators have already scrutinized AI systems that blend commercial and informational content. OpenAI has not disclosed how it will label Sponsored Agents beyond the current pilot or whether user data from those conversations will inform ad targeting.
The competitive stakes are high. Google and Meta generated a combined $300 billion in ad revenue in 2025, according to industry estimates. OpenAI's ad platform is still nascent, but its integration with HubSpot and Shopify gives it immediate access to millions of businesses that already use those platforms for customer management and ecommerce. If OpenAI can prove that conversational ads convert better than traditional display or search ads, it could reshape advertising budgets.
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Businesses can sign up at ads.openai.com. Eligible merchants can also start through the ChatGPT Ads for Shopify app or the ChatGPT Ads in HubSpot app. The Sponsored Agents pilot remains limited to select advertisers in the United States, with no timeline announced for broader availability.
