ChatGPT Denies Ads, But Shoppers Swear It’s Secretly Targeting Wallets
KEY POINTS
- •OpenAI’s Nick Turley said on December 6, 2025, there are no live ad tests on ChatGPT despite viral Target screenshots.
- •The 'ads' are actually part of a new September-introduced Instant Checkout feature built with Stripe, enabling shopping via AI chat.
- •Sam Altman dubbed a 'code red' internally after Google's Gemini 3 launch, delaying new ChatGPT features including possible ads.
On December 3, 2025, ChatGPT users, including paid Plus subscribers like Benjamin De Kraker, started spotting what looked suspiciously like Target ads inside their chatbot, sparking a mini digital freakout. OpenAI’s ChatGPT boss Nick Turley dashed rumors on X, claiming no real ads or tests are running—meaning those Target echoes are probably just a new shopping feature co-starring Stripe’s Instant Checkout. Launched in late September, this Brave New Commerce World lets users buy stuff right from AI answers, blurring the line between shopping and asking for tech support. Meanwhile, inside OpenAI HQ, Sam Altman’s declared a 'code red' to battle Google’s Gemini 3 hype, freezing new features—ads included—until further notice.
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ChatGPT’s playing peekaboo with ads: denying them like politicians dodging questions while secretly selling you Target deals nobody asked for. Instant checkout became instant regret.
Nothing screams AI trust like getting ambushed by 'ads' disguised as 'features' right when you just asked about Windows BitLocker.
OpenAI spotted panic-admitting Google's Gemini 3 success with a code red—because when your chatbot shops more than chats, it's panic time.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 12/6/2025 | Author: Lakshmi Varanasi
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