OpenAI has launched Sponsored Agents in testing, allowing ChatGPT users to interact with a merchant’s AI customer-service agent after clicking an advertisement. The branded conversations are clearly labeled, operate separately from ChatGPT’s standard responses and the user’s existing history, and can direct users to an external business website. The test is available to select U.S. advertisers, with HubSpot as OpenAI’s first customer relationship management partner and Shopify as its first e-commerce partner. Shopify’s international version is scheduled to launch on September 23. The rollout accompanies an Ads Manager plugin for creating, editing and measuring campaigns through plain-language instructions. OpenAI said its advertising business reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate roughly 200 days after launch, with ads running in more than 40 countries. The expansion follows Amazon’s agreement to let brands place ads in ChatGPT and OpenAI’s February launch of paid placements for U.S. advertisers.