OpenAI moves to automate ad creative

“OpenAI may make available AI-powered Creative Tools that allow you to generate, modify, transform, optimize, localize, or translate advertising creatives using Ad Materials,” the updated policy said.

That’s where OpenAI’s intention would stop. It has no intention of taking accountability for what the system produces. The policy states that the advertiser is “responsible” for reviewing the creatives and ensuring they are accurate and compliant where necessary.

“OpenAI is not responsible for errors, omissions, outdated information, or inconsistencies in Ad Materials or for Claims or losses arising from Generated Creatives that you approve or use,” the policy stated.

The move is hardly surprising, according to eMarketer’s principal analyst, AI in marketing and commerce, Nate Elliott. As he put it, it makes sense for OpenAI to throw AI at their ad operation.

“They know as well as anyone the power of AI for enterprise workflows; it’d be shocking if they didn’t tap that capacity for something they hope will become a major source of revenue,” he said. “And if they’re trying to make billions selling this type of capability to other companies, then they’d better very well eat their own dog food.”

It would also make it more competitive. Every major platform has spent years automating more of the buying process, which has made creative the last real variable. The logic being that once algorithmic optimization took over media buying, the bottleneck shifted upstream to creative. Platforms had a structural incentive to close that gap. More variants mean more auction signals, more liquidity, and ultimately more revenue.

“Marketers are moving faster than ever, and having proven creative assets ready to deploy lowers the barrier to experimenting with new advertising channels like ChatGPT,” said Brian Quinn, president and general manager of AppsFlyer. “But the real test will be campaign performance. If OpenAI can help brands launch seamlessly, demonstrate measurable results, and shorten the path from testing to scale, advertisers won’t just come back. They’ll commit larger budgets and make ChatGPT a meaningful part of their media mix.“

The creative tools aren’t the only update to OpenAI’s growing ad suite. 

The AI platform has added conversion tracking for app installs and app opens, according to screenshots verified by Digiday. Ads for apps is a major category in online marketing, so laying the groundwork to track measurable actions such as installs, opens and purchases, would not only attract app marketers, but also provide OpenAI with another justification for more ad spend. And given how fast things are moving, the company clearly expects more ad dollars to start trickling in, having updated the daily ad budget from $100 to $200.

These latest updates show that OpenAI is moving beyond just selling inventory, toward building the complete infrastructure advertisers expect from mature platforms. Having the ability to produce creative at scale helps to solve the problem of having enough creative to feed the AI systems, while advancing conversion tracking helps to prove that those ads drive outcomes. And ultimately, these additions represent another step toward OpenAI turning its four-month old ad pilot into a fully-fledged ad business.