ChatGPT became an ad platform this week. On May 7, 2026, OpenAI announced it is expanding its ad pilot to the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea, and at the same time opened a U.S. self-serve Ads Manager beta to all advertisers. The implication for small business marketing is bigger than another ad channel. The fastest-growing AI surface now has a paid layer, an attribution model, and a pricing system, all live, today. Most SMBs are still treating ChatGPT as a search problem. That window is closing. What Happened This Week OpenAI started the U.S. ChatGPT ad pilot on February 9, 2026, limited to logged-in adult users on the Free and Go tiers. Three months later, the company moved on two fronts at once. It expanded ads into five new countries (UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, South Korea) and rolled out a U.S. self-serve Ads Manager beta with CPC bidding, creative uploads, and real-time performance reporting.…