OpenAI walks into Cannes Lions and tells the advertising industry it is ready to take their money

OpenAI made its Cannes Lions debut this week, with CRO Denise Dresser declaring the company is in the advertising business. Projecting $2.5 billion in ad revenue for 2026 and $100 billion by 2030, OpenAI is positioning ChatGPT as a direct rival to Google and Meta for brand budgets, just as it files confidentially for a 2027 IPO targeting a $1 trillion valuation.