OpenAI Tests Sponsored Agents Inside ChatGPT Ads With HubSpot and Shopify

My take: What OpenAI announced on September 16 is not just new advertising: it is a fundamental shift in how users will interact with brands in the near future. Sponsored Agents turn an ad into a real conversation with a business bot, where users can ask questions, clarify doubts, and decide whether to visit the website. HubSpot and Shopify are the first partners on this platform, and the test is starting with select advertisers in the U.S.

For any business, this raises a strategic question: if the first point of contact between customer and brand is moving into an AI conversation, does your company have a strategy to be there? Conversational advertising is different from a banner: it requires knowing exactly what questions your customer asks and how to answer them well.

The advantage of arriving early to a new channel is always real. Is your business exploring ChatGPT Ads, or are you waiting for it to become the standard?