LiveRamp has announced an expansion of its partnership with OpenAI that will allow advertisers to use RampID-based first-party audiences in ChatGPT ads. According to the announcement cited by Search Engine Journal, the update also gives advertisers additional targeting and bidding options.

While the details available so far are limited, the development is notable because it points to a more mature ad-buying model inside AI-driven interfaces. For European companies, that matters less as a product headline and more as a signal that conversational AI platforms may increasingly become part of the digital media mix.

What happened

LiveRamp said it is expanding its OpenAI deal to bring first-party audience targeting to ChatGPT ads. In practice, that means advertisers may be able to activate customer or prospect audiences through LiveRamp's identity framework when buying ad inventory in ChatGPT.

The reported update also includes more targeting and bidding capabilities, although the source information does not provide a full technical breakdown of how those controls will work, in which markets they will be available, or what measurement features advertisers will receive.

This should therefore be treated as an announced platform development rather than a fully documented change with proven performance outcomes.

Why it matters for European businesses

The main business implication is that AI chat environments are moving closer to established digital advertising platforms. If targeting, audience activation and bid controls become more advanced, marketers may start treating AI assistants not only as discovery tools, but also as paid acquisition and brand visibility channels.

For European businesses, several issues stand out:

• First-party data is becoming more central. As privacy rules, browser restrictions and platform changes continue to limit traditional tracking, platforms that can use consented customer data in a controlled way may become more attractive to advertisers.
• AI interfaces may affect search and customer journeys. If users increasingly ask questions in AI tools instead of using traditional search engines, ad opportunities inside those interfaces could become strategically important for lead generation and e-commerce discovery.
• Identity and compliance will matter. Any activation of customer data for advertising in Europe raises GDPR questions around lawful basis, transparency, vendor relationships and cross-platform data governance.
• Measurement may become more complex. Marketing teams may need to assess how AI ad exposure fits into existing attribution, analytics and conversion reporting models.

The broader significance is not that every European SME should immediately shift budget into ChatGPT ads, but that marketers should watch how AI media products are evolving and whether they create measurable business value.

Who may be affected

• Marketing teams and media buyers evaluating new paid channels beyond search, social and retail media.
• E-commerce businesses looking for additional customer acquisition opportunities, especially where product discovery may shift toward AI assistants.
• Companies with strong first-party data assets such as CRM lists, loyalty programmes or subscription databases.
• Privacy, legal and compliance teams responsible for data use policies, consent management and vendor oversight.
• Digital agencies and martech teams that may need to connect audience, analytics and campaign workflows across new platforms.

What companies should consider

• Review first-party data readiness. Check whether customer data is well-governed, permissioned and usable for privacy-conscious advertising activation.
• Assess GDPR implications before activation. Businesses should confirm the legal basis for using customer data in advertising, review notices and consent language where relevant, and understand each vendor's processing role.
• Track platform availability in Europe. Global ad announcements do not always translate into immediate or identical access across European markets.
• Demand clarity on measurement. Before committing budget, ask how audience matching, reporting, conversion tracking and performance validation will work.
• Test cautiously. If access becomes available, start with limited budgets and clear commercial goals rather than assuming AI ad inventory will perform like search or social.
• Prepare for channel diversification. Businesses that rely heavily on one or two acquisition platforms should monitor whether AI interfaces begin to influence traffic, discovery and conversion patterns.

At this stage, the announcement is most relevant as a market signal: advertising in generative AI products is becoming more structured, more data-driven and potentially more integrated with existing martech systems. For European businesses, the opportunity will depend not only on access and performance, but also on how well data governance and privacy compliance are handled.