OpenAI ads target $100B by 2030, testing expands

OpenAI ads are moving from experiment to business plan, with the company telling reporters at Cannes it aims to reach $100 billion in ad revenue by 2030.

The figure would put OpenAI in the top tier of global advertising sellers and at roughly half of Meta’s current annual ad revenue, according to the company’s comparison shared during a Monday press briefing.

Cannes briefing underscores a shift toward ad sales

OpenAI used the Cannes advertising festival to present itself as a growing platform for marketers while also acknowledging it is in the middle of a transition. Executives framed advertising as a major revenue line over the remainder of the decade.

At the briefing, creative specialist Chad Nelson introduced a set of creative capabilities designed to help brands build and iterate ad assets faster. Nelson also kept the room light, joking about uncertainty over how to pronounce “Cannes,” in contrast to the company’s serious revenue ambition.

The presentation signaled that OpenAI is courting the ad industry directly, not just through partnerships or developer tools. The goal, executives suggested, is to make OpenAI’s products a place where ad budgets can be deployed at scale.

Seven-market pilots bring thousands of advertisers

OpenAI said it is working with thousands of advertisers across seven test markets as it trials the integration of paid placements into its products. The United States is among the markets included in the pilot program, the company said.

While the company did not provide a breakdown by country or category, the scale—thousands of advertisers—points to a broad early outreach effort rather than a narrow proof of concept. The pilots appear aimed at validating both performance and user acceptance before wider availability.

OpenAI’s presence at Cannes places it in direct conversation with the dominant digital ad platforms that have historically served as the primary gateways to large-scale targeting and measurement. With generative AI tools already influencing how ads are produced, OpenAI is now positioning itself as a potential venue for distribution as well.

Early signals: user drop-off “far lower” than at launch

A key question for any new ad surface is whether ads degrade the experience enough to drive people away. An OpenAI executive said the company is tracking how often users encounter an ad and then leave, and that this rate is now “far lower” than when testing began.

The executive added that users in test markets do not appear to be alienated by the ad formats being evaluated. OpenAI did not disclose exact metrics, the definition of “navigating away,” or how results varied by market.

The company’s remarks suggest a focus on calibration—finding a balance between monetization and product utility. For advertisers, the promise is access to engaged users and AI-enabled creative workflows; for OpenAI, the challenge is to scale ad revenue without undermining trust or retention.

Next steps are likely to center on expanding pilots, refining frequency controls, and demonstrating consistent performance to agencies and brands. The pace of rollout, and the transparency of measurement standards, will be watched closely as OpenAI attempts to turn Cannes momentum into a durable ad business.