OpenAI is rolling out a set of AI-powered advertising updates across ChatGPT and Ads Manager, positioning them as the next step in building an AI-based advertising platform. The changes aim to make ads more useful for people and to reduce the manual work businesses face when creating and managing campaigns.

The centerpiece is Sponsored Agents, a new ad experience in ChatGPT. When a user clicks an ad, they can choose to start a clearly labeled conversation with a business-sponsored agent instead of just reading a static product page. The agent can answer follow-up questions like whether a dining table fits a space, how many people it seats, or how to care for its finish, and it can link to the business’s website when the user is ready. OpenAI stresses that the conversation with a Sponsored Agent is distinct from ChatGPT’s independent answers and separate from the original conversation the user started in ChatGPT. Sponsored Agents are currently being tested with select advertisers in the United States.

On the advertiser side, OpenAI is making it easier to build and manage campaigns using natural language. Advertisers can use the Ads Manager plugin in ChatGPT to create, update, and analyze campaigns with simple prompts, including turning a website or brief into a campaign, understanding performance, and getting recommendations for next steps. Ads Manager itself is gaining AI assistance for drafting ads: advertisers receive suggested copy and imagery based on their landing page and campaign objective, and they can review and edit those suggestions before adding them. There is also an optional AI-powered text customization feature that adapts existing headlines and descriptions to fit the context of a conversation and automatically translates ad copy into a user’s preferred language.

OpenAI is also integrating ChatGPT Ads into tools businesses already use. HubSpot is the first CRM partner, letting businesses connect a ChatGPT Ads account, create ads, track performance, and follow up on leads directly in HubSpot using their HubSpot context. Shopify is the first ecommerce partner, and US-based Shopify merchants can use the new ChatGPT Ads app in the Shopify App Store to create and manage campaigns. Products are integrated through Shopify Catalog, so merchants can start running ads and tracking performance immediately. The app will be available internationally in markets where ChatGPT Ads are available starting September 23.

Together, the updates address both sides of advertising: new AI-native ad experiences for people engaging with businesses, and AI tools that let marketers spend less time on process and more time on growth.