I’ve eaten at Al Biernat’s in Dallas more than 150 times over 25 years. It’s nationally recognized, and on any given night you’ll see half of Dallas’s who’s-who in that dining room.
And after all those dinners, I still ask the waiter what’s good tonight. He doesn’t hesitate: “The Chicago tomahawk ribeye.”
On the table there’s a little card promoting the seafood tower. Beautiful card. Great photo. I notice it.
And I order the tomahawk.
That’s how the most-used AI assistant on the planet now works. There’s the answer, and there’s the card on the table. And a lot of businesses are about to fall in love with the card.
Hi, I’m Jeff Payne. You’re listening to The Jeff Payne Show, Episode #88: The Seat Next to the Answer.
[Musical sting]
Here’s what happened. Earlier this year, ChatGPT started running ads. In under 200 days, that business hit a billion-dollar annual run rate, with tens of thousands of advertisers already on board. Amazon just opened the door for brands that advertise with Amazon to show up inside ChatGPT too.
And this month, OpenAI started testing something new: ads that talk back. Tap one, and you can start a clearly labeled conversation with an AI agent that represents the business. You ask questions, compare options, and head to the website when you’re ready.
So the ad isn’t a banner anymore. It’s a salesperson standing right beside the conversation.
If you run a business, the natural question is: should we be buying these? That’s the wrong first question. Here’s the right one.
Buried in OpenAI’s announcements is a line most people skimmed right past. The ads are labeled, and they’re kept separate from how ChatGPT builds its answers. Those talking ads? They’re kept separate from ChatGPT’s own independent recommendations too.
Read that again as a business owner. There are now two lanes. The lane beside the answer is for sale. The answer itself is not.
You can rent the seat next to the answer. You cannot buy the answer.
Now think about when the buyer shows up. Nobody uses ChatGPT the way they used a search box. They show up halfway through a decision. They’ve already told it their budget, their team size, what they tried last time, and what frustrated them. Then they ask: who should I talk to?
The answer names three companies. Underneath, maybe, sits your ad.
If you’re one of the three, the ad is reinforcement. The buyer sees your name twice. That’s powerful.
If you’re not one of the three, the ad is a stranger interrupting a recommendation. The buyer just heard the verdict, then saw a sponsor. Which one do you think they trust?
That’s the whole game. The ad doesn’t get you into the answer. It amplifies whatever your reputation already earned there. It’s the same ad and a completely different result, and the difference was decided long before anyone bought a placement.
And those talking ads? Every answer your agent gives gets weighed against what the buyer already heard. If your agent says you’re the leader in your market, and the independent answer never mentioned you, you didn’t win a conversation. You started an argument you can’t win.
So here’s the move. Before anyone in your company asks for an AI ad budget, ask a different question: in the conversations where our customers decide, are we named without paying for it?
If the answer is yes, the seat next to the answer might be a smart investment. You’re amplifying a verdict that’s already in your favor.
If the answer is no, the work isn’t in an ad platform. It’s in the record: what others say about you, where you’re mentioned, your reviews, and the proof you’ve published in places these systems trust. That’s what earns a name in the answer, and nobody sells it.
Proof earns the verdict. Proximity gets you a seat nearby.
Here are a few questions to take back to your team this week.
If a buyer described their exact situation to ChatGPT tomorrow and asked for three options, would we be one of them?
If we bought the ad, would it agree with the answer or argue with it?
And are we investing in the card on the table, or in being what the waiter recommends?
If this gave you something to think about, subscribe to The Jeff Payne Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TrueFans. And do me a favor: leave a five-star rating and a review. It helps more business leaders find the show. See you next time.
I’ve eaten at Al Biernat’s in Dallas more than 150 times over 25 years. It’s a nationally recognized steakhouse, and on any given night half of Dallas’s who’s who is in the dining room. After all those dinners, I still ask the waiter what’s good tonight. He always has an answer. Last time it was the Chicago tomahawk ribeye.
On the table sat a little card promoting the seafood tower. Beautiful card. Great photo. I noticed it. And I ordered the tomahawk.
That small moment is now the business model of the most-used AI assistant in the world. There’s the answer, and there’s the card on the table. Many businesses are about to fall in love with the card.
ChatGPT Built a Billion-Dollar Ad Business in Under 200 Days
OpenAI began testing ads in ChatGPT in the U.S. in February. By late August, the company announced that ChatGPT Ads had reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate in under 200 days, with tens of thousands of advertisers on the platform. Amazon has since opened a path for brands on its ad platform to appear inside ChatGPT as well.
Then, in September, OpenAI began testing Sponsored Agents with select U.S. advertisers. After tapping an ad, a user can start a clearly labeled conversation with an AI agent that represents the business, ask follow-up questions, compare options, and click through when ready.
The ad isn’t a banner anymore. It’s a salesperson standing beside the conversation. So every CEO will soon hear the same question from someone on the team: should we be buying these?
The ad isn’t a banner anymore. It’s a salesperson standing beside the conversation.
Two Lanes: The Seat and the Answer
The most important line in OpenAI’s announcements wasn’t the revenue figure. It was the promise that ads are labeled and kept separate from ChatGPT’s answers, and that Sponsored Agent conversations are distinct from ChatGPT’s independent answers.
Read that as a business owner. There are now two lanes. The lane beside the answer is for sale. The answer itself is not.
This is one of the best written, most informative email newsletters I’ve ever read!
Thank you for sharing your expertise, and hope you’re doing well.
Beth Zimmerman
Founder, Executive Director
The Buyer Arrives Mid-Decision
People don’t use ChatGPT the way they used a search box. They arrive halfway through a decision. They’ve already described their budget, their team, what they tried before, and what frustrated them. Then they ask who they should talk to.
The answer names three companies. Underneath, maybe, sits your ad. If you’re one of the three, the ad is reinforcement, and the buyer sees your name twice. If you’re not, the ad is a stranger interrupting a recommendation. The buyer just heard the verdict, then saw a sponsor.
It’s the same ad with a completely different result, and the difference was decided long before anyone bought a placement.
When the Ad Starts Talking
Conversational ads raise the stakes. Every answer a sponsored agent gives gets weighed against what the buyer already heard from the independent answer. Consistency becomes a competitive advantage, and inconsistency becomes visible faster than ever.
If your agent says you’re the leader in your market and the independent answer never mentioned you, the buyer notices the gap.
You didn’t win a conversation. You started an argument you can’t win.
The Question to Ask Before the Ad Budget
Before anyone in your company asks for an AI ad budget, ask a different question: in the conversations where our customers decide, are we named without paying for it?
If yes, the seat next to the answer may be a smart investment. You’re amplifying a verdict that already favors you. If no, the work isn’t in an ad platform. It’s in the record: what others say about you, where you’re mentioned, your reviews, and the proof you’ve published in places these systems trust. That’s what earns a name in the answer, and nobody sells it.
Proof earns the verdict. Proximity just gets you a seat nearby.
Three Questions
Sources: This episode was inspired by the How They Make Money newsletter from App Economy Insights (“OpenAI’s Advertising Machine”). Facts on ChatGPT Ads and Sponsored Agents are drawn from OpenAI’s own announcements and trade coverage.
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