OpenAI is facing scrutiny and user backlash over promotional messages appearing within ChatGPT, particularly among its paying subscribers who reported seeing suggestions for companies like Peloton and Target. Despite these user complaints, OpenAI's chief research officer, Mark Chen, and ChatGPT head, Nick Turley, have publicly addressed the controversy, providing seemingly conflicting stances while working to manage user expectations and concerns.

Initially, OpenAI insisted that there are no active ads or tests for advertising currently running in ChatGPT. The company clarified that the reported promotional messages were part of tests for showing applications built on the ChatGPT app platform, which was announced in October, and emphasized that these suggestions had "no financial component." However, this explanation was met with skepticism from users, with one paying subscriber notably responding, "Bruhhh… Don’t insult your paying users," when confronted with a promotional message for Target.

Nick Turley attempted to quell the "confusion about ads rumors," stating, "There are no live tests for ads – any screenshots you’ve seen are either not real or not ads. If we do pursue ads, we’ll take a thoughtful approach. People trust ChatGPT and anything we do will be designed to respect that." Conversely, Mark Chen adopted a more apologetic tone, acknowledging the company "fell short" with its recent promotional messages. He admitted that "anything that feels like an ad needs to be handled with care" and confirmed that this type of suggestion had been disabled while OpenAI works on improving the model's precision and developing better controls for users to manage or disable such content.

The situation comes amid internal developments at OpenAI regarding its business strategy. Earlier in the year, Fidji Sumo, formerly an executive at Instacart and Facebook, joined OpenAI as CEO of Applications, with widespread expectations that she would focus on developing the company’s advertising business. However, recent reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate a shift in priorities. A memo from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly declared a "code red," signaling a strategic move to prioritize improving the quality of ChatGPT and consequently pushing back the development of other products, including advertising initiatives.