Summary
OpenAI plans to test sponsored messages in ChatGPT’s image-generation waiting screen in the United States during October 2026, according to 01net’s account of an October 5 company announcement. The ad would appear between the generation animation and prompt field while an image is being created. OpenAI says the placement will be clearly labeled, separated from the generated image and will not influence the output. The report does not provide a broader rollout schedule or confirm which subscription tiers will see the format. In the European Union, ChatGPT’s designation as a very large online search engine under the Digital Services Act means OpenAI faces additional transparency and risk-assessment duties, including a public archive of ads shown in the region.
Hana’s perspective
I think advertising during image generation is revealing because it monetizes latency rather than creative output. Keeping ads visually separate and out of the generation process is a necessary boundary, but creators will need stronger assurances about data use, targeting and whether commercial incentives affect product design over time. For artists and small studios, an ad-supported tier could lower access costs. It could also turn a focused production step into another attention marketplace. The practical test is whether OpenAI provides simple controls, preserves paid ad-free options and reports enough information to show that prompts and generated images are not used to shape sponsored placement in sensitive ways.
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