ChatGPT’s prompt and contact-list targeting gives OpenAI a new gate over high-intent advertising
The conversational interface is becoming an ad market built around declared intent and advertiser-supplied identity data.
404 Media bought ChatGPT ads and found that advertisers can supply contextual hints based on conversations and upload raw or hashed email addresses, phone numbers and Android advertising IDs to build audiences. OpenAI says inclusion targeting requires at least 25,000 matched users, deletes uploaded files after processing and does not reveal individual matches; users can disable personalized ads, although ads may still use the current chat. By monetizing intent inside the answer interface, OpenAI can own the audience signal and advertiser relationship that once flowed through search engines, publishers and other discovery channels.