OpenAI is assembling a dedicated ads integrity team as it prepares to introduce advertising into ChatGPT, marking a significant shift in the company’s monetization strategy. A job listing posted in late January reveals the company is building this team from scratch—described as a “0 → 1 team” in Silicon Valley parlance—to ensure that bad ads don’t compromise user trust as the AI giant enters the advertising business.
The software engineer position focuses on designing systems that enable OpenAI’s ad business to grow while maintaining user trust and safety. The role includes developing “know your customer” (KYC) systems to verify advertiser identities and assess risk levels—a critical function typically associated with the finance industry but increasingly important for combating scam ads and harmful content from bad actors.
OpenAI confirmed it will soon begin testing ChatGPT ads, with a small pilot program launching on ChatGPT’s free version and its Go tier in the United States. Users should expect to see these ads in the coming weeks. The company has set a minimum spend requirement of $200,000 for advertisers participating in the program, confirming earlier Adweek reporting. Initially, OpenAI will track clicks and impressions, with plans to explore additional measurement options as the advertising experiments progress.
The timing of this ads integrity team is notable, as Big Tech companies typically build such teams to combat ad fraud and address brand safety concerns. Meta, for example, removed more than 134 million scam ads in 2025 alone, highlighting the scale of the challenge. Ariella Garcia, chief operating officer of the Check My Ads Institute, noted that while KYC verification provides a solid foundation, the real test will be OpenAI’s long-term investment in ads integrity beyond the initial launch.
The new hire will also play a crucial role in determining where and how ads are displayed within ChatGPT, a delicate balance as OpenAI must maintain user trust in its organic AI-generated answers while proving to advertisers that ads within AI responses can deliver measurable business results. This dual challenge represents a critical test for OpenAI’s ability to scale its advertising business successfully.
Key Quotes
KYC on advertisers is certainly a good foundation, but the materiality of the risk of a large volume of scam ads in the early days is far lower
Ariella Garcia, chief operating officer of the Check My Ads Institute, commented on OpenAI’s approach to ads integrity, suggesting that while the company is taking the right initial steps, the real challenge will come as the platform scales and attracts higher volumes of advertisers.
more than 134 million scam ads
Meta reported removing this staggering number of fraudulent advertisements in 2025, illustrating the massive scale of the ad fraud problem that OpenAI will need to address as it builds its own advertising platform for ChatGPT.
Our Take
OpenAI’s proactive approach to building an ads integrity team reveals important strategic thinking about the long-term viability of AI advertising. Unlike social media platforms that added integrity teams reactively after scandals, OpenAI appears to be learning from Big Tech’s mistakes. However, the $200,000 minimum spend creates an interesting dynamic—it limits initial advertiser volume, making integrity easier to manage early on, but could create scaling challenges later. The real innovation challenge lies in how ads integrate into conversational AI without disrupting the user experience. Traditional banner ads won’t work in a chat interface, so OpenAI must pioneer new ad formats that feel native to AI conversations while remaining clearly distinguishable from organic responses. This balance between monetization and user trust will define whether ChatGPT can successfully become an advertising platform or whether users will migrate to ad-free alternatives. The industry is watching closely, as this experiment could unlock billions in AI advertising revenue—or serve as a cautionary tale.
Why This Matters
This development represents a pivotal moment in AI monetization strategy as OpenAI, one of the world’s most prominent AI companies, transitions from a purely subscription-based model to incorporating advertising revenue. The creation of an ads integrity team before launching ads demonstrates OpenAI’s awareness of the reputational risks involved—user trust in ChatGPT’s responses is fundamental to its value proposition, and poorly vetted ads could undermine that trust.
The move also signals the maturation of the AI industry as companies seek sustainable revenue models beyond venture capital funding and subscriptions. With a $200,000 minimum spend requirement, OpenAI is positioning ChatGPT as a premium advertising platform, potentially creating a new category of AI-native advertising that could reshape digital marketing.
For the broader tech ecosystem, this raises important questions about how AI-generated content and advertising will coexist. Unlike traditional search or social media, where ads are clearly separated from content, integrating ads into conversational AI responses presents unique challenges around transparency, user experience, and trust. How OpenAI navigates this will likely set precedents for the entire AI industry as other companies follow suit with their own monetization strategies.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-building-integrity-team-chatgpt-ads-2026-2