OpenAI has recently faced user complaints about promotional content resembling advertisements on its chatbot ChatGPT. Although OpenAI executives have stated that there are currently no ads or related tests on ChatGPT, Chief Research Officer Mark Chen admitted that the company had shortcomings in handling recent promotional content and is working to improve the user experience.

Some paying users have reported receiving promotional messages from large companies such as Peloton and Target while using ChatGPT, which has sparked widespread attention and dissatisfaction. In response, OpenAI explained that they were testing ways to showcase applications developed on the ChatGPT platform, and these recommendations did not involve any financial aspects. However, this explanation did not calm the users' frustrations, with some expressing skepticism and believing that the company should not treat its paying users this way.

To address user concerns, Nick Turley, head of ChatGPT, clarified: "We are not conducting any tests on ads. If the screenshots you see are ads, they are either not real or not ads." However, Mark Chen was more candid in another context, acknowledging that any information that feels like an advertisement needs to be handled carefully and stating that they have stopped such recommendations and will work to improve the model's accuracy. Additionally, the company plans to introduce better control options, allowing users to adjust these recommendations according to their needs.

Notably, despite previous reports that OpenAI's new Chief Executive Officer for Applications, Fidji Simo, might push for the company's advertising business, a recent internal memo from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, indicates that improving the quality of ChatGPT will take priority at this stage, and other product developments, including advertising-related content, will be postponed.

Key Points:

- 🚫 OpenAI admits to shortcomings in handling promotional content and has stopped recommending ad-like content.

- 🤖 Users expressed dissatisfaction with promotional messages received through ChatGPT, and OpenAI has responded to this issue.

- 📉 An internal memo shows that OpenAI will prioritize improving ChatGPT's quality and delay the development of advertising-related businesses.