OpenAI temporarily disables features in ChatGPT that resemble advertisements

California (Web Desk): OpenAI has temporarily disabled certain features in ChatGPT after receiving significant user criticism that they resembled advertisements. While the company clarified that these features were not paid promotions, Chief Research Officer Mark Chen acknowledged that the "promotional" style of suggestions created confusion among users.

Many users shared screenshots on social media, claiming that the messages appeared to be advertisements.

OpenAI explained that these messages were part of an experiment to showcase apps created on the new ChatGPT app platform, introduced last month. The goal was to display apps relevant to users, not to promote brands like Peloton or Target, which some users mistook for advertisements.

ChatGPT Plus subscribers had reported seeing these promotional-style messages, particularly for unrelated queries, which sparked a backlash.

ChatGPT Head Nick Trilli reassured users that no active advertising tests were running. He emphasized that if OpenAI ever experiments with ads in the future, it would be done with careful consideration to maintain user trust.