OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT, is preparing a strategic move that could redefine the landscape of eCommerce and digital advertising. According to an exclusive report from the Financial Times, the company intends to integrate a direct payment system into ChatGPT, charging a commission for every sale made within the platform.
Until now, ChatGPT has established itself as the leading conversational artificial intelligence tool, gradually incorporating a wide variety of new features. One of the latest, introduced in March for paying users, was the ability to display products and redirect users to online stores via links. In this way, ChatGPT would offer a selection of products considered suitable based on the query received and other user information, such as previous conversations (“memory”) or any personalized instructions provided, including images, prices, direct links to the store’s website, and reviews.
At that time, OpenAI explained that the results shown would neither be advertising nor paid ads, and that the company would not receive any kind of commission on purchases. They would simply determine which products to display based on the query.
Now, it appears that this is going to change—radically.
The shift towards integrating a complete checkout process, without leaving ChatGPT, represents a dramatic leap forward. This aims not only to generate new revenue streams for a company still seeking its path to profitability, but also to position itself as a key player in eCommerce.
According to sources consulted, the proposal is clear: those merchants who wish to sell their products directly through ChatGPT will pay a commission to OpenAI for each transaction. This opens up a new avenue for monetization, as the company has so far depended mainly on subscriptions to its premium services. The free version of ChatGPT, used by millions of people around the world, will thus become a potential source of revenue.
To facilitate this evolution, OpenAI has entered into a collaboration with Shopify. Thanks to Shopify’s extensive experience in payment systems and its ability to integrate purchasing functionalities into other platforms (as it already does with TikTok Shop), the company will play a key role in getting this strategy off the ground. Although specifics have not yet been disclosed, it is plausible that with Shopify managing the payments, OpenAI’s commission would be deducted directly at the time of the transaction, streamlining the process for all parties involved.
Of course, this new scenario raises many questions regarding the “preferences” that the AI will display in its results, the potential disintermediation of traditional advertising agencies, and the future of paid search. OpenAI, which has been restructuring its organization into a for-profit company, stated in December that it did not “have active plans to pursue advertising.” However, recent statements from company executives, such as its CFO Sarah Friar, signal a change in direction, towards a future implementation of advertising or, at the very least, affiliate fees for direct sales generated on its platform.
Beyond the business implications for OpenAI, this move represents a direct threat to Google’s traditional business model. For years, the giant from Mountain View has been the main gateway for consumers seeking products online, monetizing through advertising and clicks. If users begin to rely on AI chatbots like ChatGPT to discover and purchase products, both the flow of traffic and, of course, Google’s advertising revenue, could be seriously impacted.
However, OpenAI’s strategy is not solely a plan for monetization: it is a vision of the future where AI not only helps users find information, but also accompanies them through to the final purchase. If we add to this the company’s latest commitment to transforming the chatbot into an agent capable of doing (almost) everything for you, autonomously, including shopping tasks, it is evident that Sam Altman’s team is laying the groundwork for a radical shift in the rules of the game.
For brands, this implies the need to understand how these new channels operate and to adapt their content strategies to the new paradigm of GEO, SEO for generative search engines.
The eCommerce and marketing landscape is in constant evolution, and OpenAI’s move marks a turning point. Will ChatGPT become the next major marketplace, or simply a complement to existing ones? Only time will tell, but what is undeniable is that the conversation about the future of online shopping has just become far more interesting.
Do you think this integration of ChatGPT will radically change the way consumers shop online? How do you think brands should adapt to this new reality?
Image: Flux Schnell
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