OpenAI’s advertising operation is expanding while its internal structure keeps shifting. The Information reported that the team has reorganized seven times since February, even as OpenAI adds advertisers and recruits employees from Meta and Google.
The repeated changes come during a quick buildout of a business that was still in an early trial at the start of the year. They do not, on their own, explain why the team was reorganized or whether the changes improved its results.
A low price is helping win advertisers
The Information said one agency founder was seeing clicks on ChatGPT ads cost about $5 for some business-software advertisers, compared with $30 to $50 on Google. That is a narrow comparison from one agency, not a published rate card or a platform-wide performance benchmark, but it helps explain why some advertisers are willing to test the new channel.
Those click prices also should not be confused with OpenAI’s initial sales model. In January, Reuters reported, citing an earlier report by The Information, that OpenAI was asking a small pool of advertisers for commitments of less than $1 million each during a several-week trial. The early program charged by ad views rather than clicks, and OpenAI was still working on self-service tools that would let advertisers buy placements directly. Reuters said it could not independently verify those details at the time.
Building an experienced sales team
OpenAI has also brought in veteran ad executives to deepen its relationships with brands. In March, The Wall Street Journal reported that the company hired Dave Dugan, formerly Meta’s vice president of global clients and agencies, as vice president of global ad solutions. Dugan reports to OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap.
Together, the hiring and pricing details show how OpenAI is trying to turn a limited ad pilot into a larger sales operation while repeatedly reshaping the team responsible for it.
