Criteo becomes first adtech partner for ChatGPT ads

Criteo has joined OpenAI's ChatGPT advertising pilot, becoming the first advertising technology partner to integrate with the programme in the US for the Free and Go versions of the service.

The move signals a new phase for advertising inside large language model services, as platforms test formats that sit alongside conversational search and recommendations. OpenAI's pilot is exploring how paid placements might appear within ChatGPT's user experience.

The integration will roll out over the coming weeks as part of the ongoing pilot. Criteo framed the work as an effort to set expectations for relevance and user trust in ad-supported conversational discovery.

Michael Komasinski, Chief Executive Officer of Criteo, called the partnership a milestone and a chance to test how ads fit into AI-led journeys.

"This integration with OpenAI represents an exciting step forward in advancing advertising in an emerging AI experience," said Michael Komasinski, Chief Executive Officer, Criteo. "Through this pilot, we are helping shape how advertising can support discovery and consideration within Large Language Model (LLM) platforms, grounded in experiences that are additive, relevant, and built on user trust."

Conversion signals

Criteo pointed to early performance indicators from traffic originating in large language model environments. Aggregated insights across its US clients show users referred from LLM platforms such as ChatGPT convert at around 1.5 times the rate of other referral channels.

The company presented that figure as evidence of higher intent when shoppers arrive from conversational tools. It also reflects a broader shift in how consumers begin shopping journeys, with product discovery increasingly happening outside traditional search and social feeds.

Adtech groups and retailers have been monitoring this change closely because the first interaction can shape which brands and products get considered. In an AI chat interface, the route from question to recommendation can be short, raising questions about disclosure, ranking, and how sponsored content appears.

Commerce focus

Criteo runs a commerce media business that connects brands, retailers and publishers, activating more than USD $4 billion in annual media spend and working with 17,000 advertisers globally.

Its business has historically centred on performance advertising and retail media, with technology that places ads across retailer sites, publisher inventory and other digital environments. The integration with ChatGPT adds a new surface where consumers may be closer to a purchase decision, depending on the query and context.

Criteo also described the pilot as a way to evaluate how brands can advertise within ChatGPT, and said the approach could drive incremental demand back to retailer and brand destinations.

The announcement comes as the ad industry looks for alternatives to legacy tracking and as browser and platform privacy changes reshape targeting and measurement. Commerce media has been one area of investment, as retailers control logged-in environments and first-party transaction data. Conversational AI platforms represent another potential point of leverage if they become a mainstream gateway to shopping decisions.

Early market tests

OpenAI has not set out broad commercial terms for ChatGPT advertising, and the pilot remains limited. Working with an established commerce media provider highlights the role that product catalogues, merchant relationships and performance measurement play in shopping-led advertising.

For advertisers, the appeal of an AI chat interface is the possibility of capturing demand at the moment of research. The challenge is balancing that with user expectations. If advertising becomes intrusive or unclear, it risks undermining trust in answers and recommendations.

Criteo said user trust is central to the pilot. How that translates into ad design and disclosure will be watched closely by competitors, brands and publishers, particularly as regulators scrutinise digital advertising practices and consumer transparency.

The rollout will begin in the coming weeks across ChatGPT Free and Go in the US, as OpenAI continues the advertising pilot with Criteo participating.