OpenAI lets businesses get verified profiles and AI chat agents in ChatGPT

How it works

OpenAI announced Tuesday that verified businesses can now show up with their own profile inside ChatGPT, which the company says reaches 1.2 billion weekly users ¹. Through a tool called Business Hub, companies get a blue checkmark and can update their store details, prices and stock levels . They also receive a dashboard that tracks how frequently ChatGPT brings them up, how many visitors arrive at their site from those mentions, and which subjects appear most often in the discussions . OpenAI noted that it does not share users' chats with businesses .

When someone asks ChatGPT a question and a business appears in the answer, they can open that company's profile and start chatting with its Business Agent ¹. The agent is trained on the company's own product information and answers questions on their behalf . These chats are clearly labeled as separate from ChatGPT's regular responses .

Ads and payments

Businesses that qualify — currently US ecommerce and online-service firms — can also turn their agent into an ad ¹. OpenAI is testing what it calls Sponsored Agents, where companies pay to have their AI assistant appear as a landing spot for ChatGPT ads . The company says paying for placement does not change how often ChatGPT recommends a business organically .

Right now, when users buy something through a Business Agent, they are sent to the brand's own website to complete the purchase ¹. OpenAI is working on letting agents handle payments directly through a partnership with Visa, but that feature is still being built .

Rules and competition

OpenAI has set some rules for these agents: they must say they are AI, keep prices accurate and avoid high-pressure sales tactics ¹. Users must give clear approval before sharing personal data or making purchases .

The move is another step in OpenAI's growing advertising business, which passed a $1 billion annual run rate in August and now counts around 100,000 advertisers ¹. It could also put pressure on smaller startups like Peec AI, which sells brands estimates of how visible they are in ChatGPT searches .

Words to know

Agent: an AI program that can carry out tasks or chat with people on behalf of a user or company · Beta: a test version of a product that is not yet fully finished

What this means for you

If you ask ChatGPT something like "what headphones should I buy" or "find me a plumber," you may soon see a verified business pop up with its own AI representative ready to answer your questions using real pricing and availability ¹. For businesses, it is a new way to meet customers right where they are already searching — inside ChatGPT .

Key facts

• OpenAI's Businesses in ChatGPT beta lets verified companies claim profiles with blue checkmarks and launch AI agents
• ChatGPT has 1.2 billion weekly users who may now interact with branded business agents
• Sponsored Agents let businesses pay to promote their AI assistant within ChatGPT ads
• OpenAI's ad business passed $1 billion annual run rate with 100,000 advertisers

Sources

1. OpenAI lets businesses claim ChatGPT profiles and launch their own agents — thenextweb.com