OpenAI launched Businesses in ChatGPT in beta, letting businesses claim verified profiles, update their details and see aggregated data on how often ChatGPT mentions them. US ecommerce and online-service firms can also launch Business Agents, which OpenAI also sells as ads.

OpenAI is letting businesses claim their profiles in ChatGPT and launch AI agents that talk to customers on their behalf, the company said on Tuesday. The beta, called Businesses in ChatGPT, is aimed at the 1.2 billion people OpenAI says use ChatGPT each week.

Through a tool called Business Hub, verified companies get a blue check and can update their details, prices and stock. They can also see how often ChatGPT mentions them, how many people click through to their website and common topics in those conversations. OpenAI says it does not share users' chats with businesses.

Eligible US ecommerce and online-service firms can also launch a Business Agent. When a business shows up in a ChatGPT answer, users can open its profile and chat with its agent, which answers using the company's product details. The chat is labelled and kept apart from ChatGPT's own answers.

The same agent can be sold as an ad. Businesses can sponsor it as the landing spot for ChatGPT Ads, building on Sponsored Agents, which OpenAI began testing in September. OpenAI says paying does not change how often ChatGPT recommends a business, Digiday reported.

Agents must say they are AI, keep prices accurate and avoid pressure tactics. Purchases and sharing personal data need the user's explicit approval. For now, buyers are sent to the brand's own website, though OpenAI is building agent payments with Visa.

The move deepens OpenAI's push into advertising, which passed a $1B annual run rate in August and now has 100,000 advertisers. It could also squeeze startups such as Peec AI, which sell brands estimates of how visible they are in ChatGPT.