ChatGPT Ads makes its Southeast Asia debut

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OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT Ads into Southeast Asia and Taiwan, opening up the advertising platform to businesses across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan from 24 September.

The rollout follows earlier launches across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and India, and gives marketers in the region another way to reach consumers while they are researching, comparing products and making decisions through ChatGPT.

Advertisers can access ChatGPT Ads through OpenAI's Ads Solutions team, as well as agency partners including dentsu, Havas Media, Omnicom Media, Publicis Groupe and WPP. Eligible businesses can also buy ads directly through the platform's self-service Ads Manager.

Don't miss: OpenAI expands ChatGPT ads in Australia with self-serve buying and CPC tools

According to OpenAI, ChatGPT Ads are designed to surface relevant products and services alongside conversations as users explore their options. This could include moments such as planning a trip, choosing business software or furnishing a home, where users may provide more context about their needs, preferences and constraints through conversation.

Ads will only be shown to users on ChatGPT's Free and Go plans, while Plus, Pro and Enterprise subscriptions will remain ad-free. OpenAI said advertisements will be clearly labelled and kept separate from ChatGPT's responses, with advertising having no influence over the answers generated by the platform.

The company added that conversations will remain private from advertisers and that customer data will not be sold. Users will also have controls over ad personalisation.

The Southeast Asia and Taiwan expansion comes as OpenAI continues to build out ChatGPT Ads globally. At the end of August, the company said the business had reached US$1 billion in annualised revenue run rate less than 200 days after launch, with tens of thousands of advertisers running campaigns on the platform.

With the latest rollout, ChatGPT Ads is now available across more than 60 countries. OpenAI said it plans to expand into further markets over the coming months while introducing new ad formats, optimisation tools and measurement solutions.

“We’re at the beginning of a new chapter for advertising, with AI creating new ways for businesses and people to connect," said Dave Dugan, vice president and head of global ads solutions, OpenAI.

He added, "Our expansion into more markets across Asia brings that opportunity to businesses of every size, from global brands looking for new ways to grow to entrepreneurs and startups running their first campaign.”

Agency partners framed the launch as part of a broader shift in how brands capture consumer intent, with dentsu, Omnicom Media and Publicis Groupe pointing to ChatGPT Ads as a way to reach people while they are actively exploring needs, comparing options and making decisions. They also highlighted the move beyond traditional search and keyword-based advertising towards conversational recommendations, alongside the need for measurement, trust and responsible scaling.

Shopee, meanwhile, said the expansion builds on its existing partnership with OpenAI, following the launch of ChatGPT Ads in Brazil. The e-commerce platform said it is exploring how AI can improve product discovery for buyers while helping sellers reach and serve customers more effectively, with the Southeast Asia and Taiwan rollout marking a further expansion of that collaboration.

The expansion comes as OpenAI builds out its advertising offering with a slate of AI-powered tools aimed at changing how users interact with ads in ChatGPT and how advertisers create and manage campaigns.

Earlier this month, OpenAI began testing "Sponsored agents" with select advertisers in the US. The feature allows users to start a conversation with a business-sponsored agent after clicking an ad. Rather than immediately directing users away from ChatGPT, it lets them ask follow-up questions, explain what they are looking for and assess whether a product or service suits their needs before visiting the advertiser's website.

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