If it feels like ChatGPT is showing up in more places than your browser or phone lately, it's no coincidence.
OpenAI is reportedly ramping up its use of influencers to promote ChatGPT, and it isn't limiting those partnerships to the usual tech creators talking about prompts, models and benchmarks.
Instead, the company is working with creators in areas including parenting, fitness, education, travel, shopping and careers, according to a new report from Business Insider. The goal appears to be less about explaining what ChatGPT is and more about showing how the chatbot can fit into everyday life.
And the number of sponsored posts is climbing quickly. According to HypeAuditor data cited by Business Insider, Instagram posts using #chatgpt_partner or #chatgptpartner jumped from 61 in June to 122 in July and 141 in August.
That's more than double the number of sponsored posts in just two months, and it offers a glimpse at how OpenAI is trying to turn ChatGPT into something you reach for throughout your day.
OpenAI wants ChatGPT to be more than your favorite chatbot
What's particularly interesting about OpenAI's influencer strategy is the type of content it's promoting. Business Insider reports that OpenAI has been interested in working with fitness creators, for example, because people already use ChatGPT for questions about workouts and running.
A sponsored back-to-school campaign showed a parent using ChatGPT to help her children with math homework while highlighting features including Study Mode and teen-safety tools.
Meanwhile, The Shade Room, which has more than 28 million Instagram followers, published a sponsored ChatGPT word-search puzzle. All of this highlights how OpenAI is working to encourage ChatGPT name recognition along with everyday use cases.
OpenAI now appears to be marketing individual reasons to keep using it, whether you're planning a workout, helping with homework or trying to get something done at work.
One creator who has worked with OpenAI told Business Insider that her audience already has ChatGPT. The challenge, then, isn't persuading people to try AI for the first time. It's getting them to choose ChatGPT when they do.
OpenAI is building a creator operation
There are signs this isn't just a handful of curated sponsorships. OpenAI has been expanding its creator partnerships operation and has sought employees who can help the company work with creators and influencers at scale.
Earlier this year, OpenAI also hired Charles Porch, who spent years overseeing partnerships at Instagram, to take on the role of Vice President of Global Creative Partnerships for OpenAI , according to his Linkedin profile. The company has even experimented with the kind of influencer trips normally associated with beauty, fashion and lifestyle brands.
In August, OpenAI hosted creators at a luxury retreat in New York where attendees participated in activities and workshops while learning about OpenAI products. The trip also demonstrated one of the risks of this strategy.
Some participating influencers faced criticism from followers over issues including AI's environmental impact and whether creators were compromising their independence by partnering with OpenAI. TechCrunch reported that at least one creator appeared to remove a video about the event following the backlash.
How to tell when a ChatGPT post is sponsored
There's nothing inherently unusual about OpenAI paying influencers to promote ChatGPT. Brands have used creator partnerships for years. But it's worth knowing when the enthusiastic ChatGPT recommendation appearing in your feed is an independent recommendation and when it's advertising.
The Federal Trade Commission says creators should clearly disclose when they have a material relationship with a company they're endorsing. That can include being paid, receiving free products or getting other perks.
The disclosure should also be difficult to miss rather than buried among hashtags or hidden behind a "more" button.
In OpenAI's case, hashtags including #chatgpt_partner and #chatgptpartner are one obvious clue that you're looking at sponsored content.
So, the next time a creator casually shows how ChatGPT helped plan a vacation, explain homework or build a workout, it's worth checking the caption. You may be watching an artfully curated ad campaign.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.
More from Tom's Guide
