What does it mean for the world and for brands that ChatGPT is becoming the new advertising channel?

OpenAI has confirmed that starting August 24, it will begin displaying ads within ChatGPT in 31 European countries, including Spain. This marks the company's largest advertising expansion to date, following tests in the United States since February and subsequent rollouts in markets such as Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea.

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Here is our take on the essentials of this new implementation:

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It will only affect users on the Free and Go plans (the most affordable paid tier). Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans remain ad-free. The key detail is that over 90% of ChatGPT users are on these free or low-cost plans.

OpenAI assures that ads will be clearly separated from AI-generated responses and that brands will not have access to conversations or be able to influence the model's output.

They also clarified that they will completely exclude sensitive categories such as politics, weapons, self-harm, terrorism, or privacy, which will not carry advertising.

This update has been delayed in reaching Europe because the GDPR requires explicit consent for personalized targeting unless there is a demonstrable legitimate interest, so the company needed more time here than in other markets.

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Something this big is hard to ignore 
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This isn't "just another platform with ads." It is the first time advertising has entered the exact moment someone is thinking out loud, comparing options, and nearly making a decision. Until now, we interrupted people's attention. From now on, the possibility is to appear within their reasoning, and that shift in position is the real call to action—where you need to use all your strategic and creative skills to communicate within a conversation, with context, without sounding like an interruption. 

Furthermore, the impact could be faster than it seems. Spain has one of the highest generative AI adoption rates in Europe, which means a high probability of having a qualified audience from day one. 

The advantage of a new channel isn't just about cost. It's about learning: brands that enter now will define what works and what doesn't in this format, and that learning curve will become a real competitive advantage a year from now, when the channel is already saturated. 

And although it won't shake the major competitors in this space—Google and Meta—just yet, they already have their eyes on the rearview mirror because, for the first time in years, they are facing a competitor that isn't playing their game: it isn't fighting for the scroll or the click; it's fighting for pure intent. Google has already made its move with its own AI mode in search, and Meta continues to accelerate by betting heavily on AI within its campaign management. No one is losing their throne this year, but with someone new at the table, the way everyone plays from now on is going to change.

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One more innovation that gives us food for thought

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For years, the holy grail of marketing has been to be in the right place, with the right message, for the right person. Ironically, that moment will no longer live in a thumb-scrolled feed, but in a text conversation where someone is literally asking you what to do. The question is no longer whether we will advertise within an AI. It is whether we will know how to do it well before everyone else learns to do it the same way.

So, once again, there is no need for a "perfect manual," because the manual is being written right now, and it is better to write it yourself than to copy it later.

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