ChatGPT Ads Let You Reach Shoppers Inside AI Conversations

OpenAI switched on ChatGPT Ads in Malaysia on 23 September 2026, alongside Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan. The feature shows relevant, clearly labelled ads to ChatGPT users on the Free and Go plans as they research products and services, giving businesses a new place to reach customers beyond Google and Facebook.

What did OpenAI announce about ChatGPT Ads?

This expansion follows earlier Asia Pacific rollouts in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and India. ChatGPT Ads is now live in more than 60 countries, and OpenAI says the product reached a 1 billion US dollar annualised revenue run rate in under 200 days, with tens of thousands of advertisers now running campaigns, many across multiple countries at once.

We're at the beginning of a new chapter for advertising, with AI creating new ways for businesses and people to connect. 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.from Dave Dugan, Vice President and Head of Global Ads Solutions, OpenAI (OpenAI, 23 September 2026)

Shopee is one of the first Southeast Asian partners using the new channel, following an earlier ChatGPT Ads partnership in Brazil. Businesses can also reach ChatGPT Ads through OpenAI's Ads Solutions team, agency partners including dentsu, Havas Media, Omnicom Media and Publicis Groupe, or self service Ads Manager for eligible accounts.

OpenAI is a valued strategic partner for Shopee as we explore how AI can enhance the e-commerce experience for buyers while supporting sellers in growing their businesses. Across our markets, we are expanding access to AI-powered tools that help buyers discover what they need and enable sellers to reach and serve customers more effectively. Following the launch of ChatGPT Ads in Brazil, we are pleased to extend this collaboration to Southeast Asia and Taiwan, marking another step in our deepening partnership with OpenAI.from Peggy Zhu, Executive Director, Brand and Growth Marketing, Shopee (OpenAI, 23 September 2026)

How can a business use ChatGPT Ads?

• Ads only appear to ChatGPT users on the Free and Go plans; Plus, Pro and Enterprise subscribers see no ads at all.
• Ads are shown while people are actively comparing options inside a conversation, for example planning a trip, choosing software or furnishing a home, not beside search results or in a social feed.
• OpenAI says conversations stay private from advertisers, ads are always clearly labelled and separated from ChatGPT's answers, and advertising never changes what ChatGPT tells a user.
• Eligible businesses can apply for self service access through Ads Manager, or go through an agency partner if they already run campaigns on other platforms.

Does ChatGPT Ads matter for a small business?

Most business owners are not going to launch a ChatGPT ad campaign this week, and that is fine for now. What matters more is that a growing share of your customers already research purchases inside ChatGPT before they open Google or Facebook, especially for considered purchases like renovations, equipment or professional services. A paid ad only helps once your business is something ChatGPT can find and describe accurately in the first place, since OpenAI keeps advertising separate from the answers ChatGPT actually gives. In our workshops the most common question is not whether AI advertising works, but whether a business shows up at all when a customer asks an AI assistant for a recommendation.

Also today in AI

• OpenAI cut API prices for its GPT-6 Sol and Luna models by 50 percent compared with their earlier promotional pricing, and improved prompt caching so developers reuse more context at lower cost (OpenAI).
• Airbnb is widening its engineering teams' access to GPT-6 Astra, with its Chief Technology Officer saying development teams are shipping roughly 80 percent more features than a year ago (OpenAI).

What should you do this week?

You do not need a ChatGPT Ads budget to benefit from this shift. Start by asking ChatGPT, Google's AI answers and other assistants what they say about your business when someone searches for your service in Kota Kinabalu. If the answer is thin, outdated or wrong, that is the gap to close first, through your website, reviews and clear service pages, before any paid AI channel is worth testing. Our AI-Powered Social Media Growth program walks business owners through exactly this, building the content, ad creative and ad reporting habits that keep a business visible as customers move more of their research into AI tools.