Ripping you off Stage 3
ChatGPT delivered mass surplus fast, then layered paywalls, rate limits, and enterprise tiers. Since early 2026, ads sit under answers for Free and Go users, adding the attention business on top of subscriptions. Classic freemium extraction—stage 3.
- Since
- 2022
- Category
- AI
- VC-backed
- Yes
- Public
- No
- Website
- chatgpt.com
- X
- @OpenAI
The promise
Its first promise, and how much is kept · Scoring
60% kept
“OpenAI’s mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI) … benefits all of humanity.”
Why it’s rated 3
The criteria it meets, with sources · Method
- Alignment 0 of 3
- None
- Lock-in 0 of 4
- None
- Extraction 2 of 7
-
- E2 More ads Feb 9, 2026
- E5 Data grab Feb 9, 2026
- Decline 0 of 3
- None
Result Two or more extraction criteria, or lock-in plus at least one, so stage 3.
News signals
Sourced reporting, tagged by strategy
Feb 9, 2026
ChatGPT rolls out ads for Free and Go users in the U.S.
Ad expansionTier fragmentation
Oct 3, 2024
OpenAI secures $4 billion credit line after major funding round
Investor pressure
Oct 2, 2024
OpenAI closes $6.6 billion funding round as ChatGPT scales
Investor pressure