Draft of the Blog Post (in English):

OpenAI Explores Integration of Ads in AI Services to Diversify Revenue Models

OpenAI, the prominent AI developer, is considering introducing advertising within its services to establish a more sustainable revenue model. This initiative aims to address the mounting operational costs associated with AI development and usage.

According to the Financial Times, OpenAI's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Sarah Friar, noted that this plan is still under deliberation. OpenAI may particularly focus on integrating ads within its relatively new AI search service, called "SearchGPT." This move comes as OpenAI has only 10 million premium subscribers out of its 250 million weekly active users, generating $3.4 billion in estimated subscription revenue. However, the high costs associated with developing cutting-edge AI models—up to $7 billion annually—make it clear that subscription revenue alone cannot sustain the business.

Industry speculation suggests this advertising plan is strategic. OpenAI has recently recruited talent from major ad-driven platforms like Meta and Google to bolster its advertising capabilities. Additionally, the company might increase its monthly subscription fee from the current $20 to $44 by 2029. These changes underline OpenAI's need to offset rising expenses from GPU use and large-scale data processing in AI development.

Competitors like Perplexity and Google have already adopted ad models within their AI services. Perplexity launched "sponsored follow-up questions" last month, while Google has tested ads in AI-enhanced search results. Both companies stress that these ads do not compromise the fairness of search results.

OpenAI's advertising plans could catalyze a shift in the tech advertising market, traditionally dominated by search engines like Google, toward AI-first platforms. If successful, OpenAI could directly challenge Google's hold on the market.

However, CFO Friar emphasized that nothing has been finalized, stating, "While growth remains strong, advertisement integration is one of the many options we're evaluating for future revenue diversification."

< Summary >

• Header: OpenAI considers ads as a tool to diversify revenue.
• Details:
  • High expenses in AI development: yearly costs reaching $7 billion.
  • Ideas discussed include ads within "SearchGPT" and higher subscription pricing by 2029.
  • Competitors (Google & Perplexity) already see positive ad outcomes in their AI systems.
• Additional Context:
  • Current subscription revenue insufficient for sustainability.
  • Recruiting ad industry experts hints toward OpenAI's ad business focus.
  • Potential market transformation if OpenAI adopts ads effectively.
• Conclusion: Ads could allay costs and create new revenue streams, but no decisions are final yet.

< 핵심내용 요약 >

• 중점 사항: 오픈AI, 광고 활용 검토로 수익 다각화 고려.
• 세부 사항:
  • AI 개발 및 운영 비용 부담: 최대 연간 70억 달러 소요.
  • '서치GPT' 광고 도입 검토, 유료 구독료 2029년까지 인상 계획.
  • 경쟁사 퍼플렉시티와 구글은 이미 광고를 통한 수익 개선 중.
• 추가 맥락:
  • 현재 주 수익원 구독 매출만으로는 비즈니스 지속 어려움.
  • 구글, 메타 출신 전문가 영입으로 광고 역량 강화 전망.
  • 검색 광고 중심 시장이 AI 기반 플랫폼 위주로 재편 가능.
• 결론: 광고가 비용 문제 해소 및 새로운 매출 창출 도구로 자리할 가능성이 있지만, 최종 결정은 미정.

• Crafted by Billy Yang
  https://next-korea.com