Today in AI: ChatGPT Adds Ads, OpenAI's $750B IPO, Build Apps in Minutes with Claude Code

This video is from the ‘AI with Kyle Live Stream’
First aired: 20 January 2026

Summary: OpenAI finally pulled the trigger on what we all knew was coming—ads in ChatGPT. They've hired advertising execs, they're gearing up for a potentially $750 billion IPO, and frankly, they need the revenue. The interesting bit is how they're rolling it out: free and ChatGPT Go tiers get ads (yes, even if you're paying for Go), whilst Plus, Pro, and Enterprise users remain ad-free for now. They're being very careful with the messaging, lots of "user trust" and "transparency" talk, which tells me they know this is a delicate dance. The thing that amuses me is their claim that ads won't "influence" responses—that's literally what adverts do. They influence. Just because the text doesn't change doesn't mean a strategically placed ad isn't doing its job.

The broader point here is that OpenAI is becoming what everyone becomes: an advertising company. Google's 60-70% ads, Meta's 99% ads—they're not tech companies first, they're ad platforms that happen to do clever tech things. With nearly a billion users, OpenAI can't ignore that revenue stream, especially when they're trying to justify valuations that would make this one of the largest IPOs in history. On a completely different note, we're also seeing absurdly easy app development now—I literally rebuilt a £3/month app in an hour using Claude Code. The barrier isn't building anymore, it's marketing and distribution, which is both exciting and terrifying depending on which side of the equation you're on.

—— Time Stamps ——

0:00 OpenAI Adds Ads to ChatGPT - Everything You Need to Know
1:17 ChatGPT Go Tier Explained ($8/Month Plan Now in US)
2:02 Why OpenAI is Treading a Very Fine Line
3:34 Which ChatGPT Plans Get Ads (Plus, Pro, Business Exempt)
4:50 OpenAI's Ad Principles: Mission Alignment & Answer Independence
5:16 $800 Billion IPO - Why OpenAI Desperately Needs Revenue
6:09 900 Million Users and Counting Toward 1 Billion
6:30 First Look at ChatGPT Ad Examples
7:03 How Yahoo Died - A Warning for OpenAI
7:26 Evolution of Google Ads Through the Decades
9:09 The Fundamental Tension in Online Advertising
10:50 Breaking Down OpenAI's Official Announcement
14:54 TikTok vs ChatGPT - OpenAI Won't Optimize for Time Spent
16:25 How ChatGPT Ads Will Work (Bottom of Answers)
18:04 Why Small Businesses Should Advertise on ChatGPT Now
19:27 Understanding Purchase Intent in AI Advertising
22:52 Why ChatGPT Knows Your Deepest Secrets
23:57 The Future of Google Search is in Trouble
25:12 Search Advertising Will Be Dead in 10 Years
26:04 Why Google Actually Owns the AI Vertical
28:03 Can AI Revenue Replace Hundreds of Billions in Search Ads?
29:07 ChatGPT Ad Revenue Analysis - $58 Per User?
33:10 Story: I Refused to Pay $3 for a TV Remote App
34:31 Huge Opportunity - Disrupting the App Store with AI
35:05 Greg Eisenberg's $10 Million Playbook for Rebuilding Apps
38:29 Manus Launches App Publishing (No Xcode Needed)
40:08 Q&A: Duplicating Apps and Websites with Claude Code
43:13 Final Thoughts & Sign Off

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