OpenAI is also reportedly planning to charge per impression rather than per click. For advertisers, cost-per-click models are generally more attractive, as they allow for clearer performance measurement. The choice to bill per impression may reflect the fact that AI chatbot users click external links far less frequently than traditional search engine users. Perplexity also uses a cost-per-thousand-impressions pricing model.

OpenAI’s move toward advertising — at premium prices and in a relatively unattractive format for advertisers — could indicate that the company is under pressure to aggressively grow revenue in order to justify its lofty valuation to investors. Sam Altman previously described ChatGPT advertising as a last resort and a potential dystopian outcome.