News April 2, 2026
3 min read
OpenAI Signs Smartly as First Creative Ad-Tech Partner to Build Conversational Ads Inside ChatGPT
OpenAI has signed Helsinki-based Smartly as its first creative ad-tech partner, with the goal of building interactive, conversational ad formats inside ChatGPT. Unlike the static contextual placements launched in February, the new formats will let users click an ad and enter a chatbot-style dialogue with a brand. Smartly cited a Boots UK pilot on Meta — where conversational ads drove nearly 5x the sales of standard placements — as the template. The partnership arrives six weeks after OpenAI's ad pilot crossed $100 million in annualized revenue with more than 600 advertisers.