AI might be a digital-first technology, but it is still seeking the help of the real world for wider adoption.
OpenAI is running a major offline ad campaign for ChatGPT in India. The campaign seems to feature hoardings in big cities promoting ChatGPT and how it can be used. People across India have been spotting these ChatGPT ads on roads.
An X user shared a picture of a ChatGPT ad from Chennai. “Uploaded my biology notes. Now read them back like a masala talk show,” the hoarding said, with the ChatGPT logo at the bottom. The ad highlighted how ChatGPT could be used as a study companion for students.
Another user shared a ChatGPT outdoor advertisement from Kolkata. “Can you help me figure out what career I’d be good at? Start with 10 questions about what I enjoy,” the ad said, showing that ChatGPT could help as a career counselor.
Another ad showed how ChatGPT could be used as a fitness coach.
And yet another ChatGPT ad showed how it could be used as a personal tutor by automatically creating flashcards.
This isn’t the first time that ChatGPT is advertising in India. In April this year, ChatGPT had run ads on Instagram in local languages to promote its services.
India is an important market for OpenAI. After the Ghibli trend had gone viral in the country, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had said that India was outpacing the world in AI adoption. The company had said that India was its fastest-growing market, and the second-largest market behind the US. OpenAI had debuted its cheaper Go plan with a launch in India, and last month, OpenAI has also announced its first India office in Delhi, and was hiring for roles in Mumbai, Bengaluru and the NCR region.
Other AI companies too have been eyeing the India market. Google had announced one year of free Gemini Pro plans for all Indian college students. Perplexity, meanwhile, has given its Pro plan free to all Airtel subscribers. And with OpenAI even running outdoor ad campaigns in India, the country seems to be emerging as the pre-eminent battleground for US-based firms that are jostling among themselves for AI supremacy.