OpenAI's Ad Business Is on Pace to Miss Its Own Forecast By 90%, Analyst Says

www.adweek.com · 2026-07-14 · by Long Nguyen ·generic
OpenAI is projecting $100 billion in ad revenue by 2030. Emarketer puts the ceiling for the entire chatbot ad market at just $5.41 billion. 

OpenAI's Ad Business Is on Pace to Miss Its Own Forecast By 90%, Analyst Says

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By Trishla Ostwal

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OpenAI’s ad business is on pace to fall short of the company’s own five-year revenue forecast by 90%, according to Emarketer.

The AI lab has projected $2.5 billion in ad revenue this year and $100 billion by 2030. Emarketer’s data finds that standalone chatbots like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot app, Google AI Mode, and Amazon Alexa for Shopping (formerly Rufus) in U.S, will generate less than $1 billion in ad revenue this year, and just $5.41 billion by 2030.

OpenAI began its ad trial in February. Two months in, the AI lab made headlines touting those same projections.

The forecast assumes OpenAI captures search ad budgets en masse from traditional search ad sellers, dominates a fully mature chatbot ad market, and outperforms every ad format in history–all at once.

Image of Trishla Ostwal

#### Trishla Ostwal

Trishla is an Adweek staff reporter covering AI and tech.

@trishlaostwal| trishla.ostwal@adweek.com

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