OpenAI has declared itself an advertising business. But can it turn ChatGPT into a Meta-scale ad platform without damaging the product that made it valuable?

Sean Halpin and Cameron Armstrong sit down with commerce media expert Paul Wright to unpack the biggest signals from Cannes: Amazon’s agentic Alexa ads, Walmart’s move into self-serve CTV and OpenAI’s ambition to build a serious advertising business.

They discuss:

• Why OpenAI’s early revenue figures need context
• Whether ChatGPT advertising looks more like search or display
• The challenge of making the model work for millions of SMEs
• Whether advertising can cover the enormous cost of running AI
• Why appointing a “Head of AI” doesn’t constitute an AI strategy
• How leaders can build adaptability, experimentation and genuine AI literacy
• Why redesigning a company around AI shouldn’t simply mean cutting jobs
• The continuing value of first-party data