Key Takeaway
„The future of two industries is at stake. For the artificial-intelligence business, ads represent a way to monetise a wildly expensive invention that most people currently use free of charge. For the ad industry, adbots are a possible answer to the existential question of how advertising will work if users move away from conventional search engines. Although it is early days, the outlines of a new kind of ma”rketing are emerging.”
Context
Commercial and advertising interests are gradually becoming embedded in the operation of artificial intelligence. While most users still regard AI as a neutral and objective tool, the evolution of business models is likely to make commercial, political, and other forms of influence increasingly prominent. As AI becomes a primary source of information and decision support for many people, it may become increasingly difficult to distinguish between objective summaries of information and content shaped by paid promotion or vested interests. This trend could undermine both the transparency of the information environment and users’ trust in AI-generated content.
Summary
According to The Economist’s analysis, AI-powered chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s AI-based search tools, and Microsoft’s Copilot are increasingly turning into advertising platforms. For developers, this represents an important source of revenue, as operating AI systems is extremely expensive while most users continue to access these services free of charge. The transformation appears logical given that the online advertising industry is already searching for new directions, as chatbots may gradually replace traditional internet search engines. Although advertisements remain relatively rare for now, companies are already anticipating enormous future revenues from ads integrated into AI chatbots. The magazine argues that this shift is giving rise to a new form of advertising strategy. While Google tends to display advertisements in a manner similar to traditional search ads at the very beginning of a conversation, ChatGPT often recommends products or services only after extended interactions, once it has developed a clearer understanding of the user’s intentions. Early observations suggest that the system can sometimes target users with remarkable precision, while at other times it misinterprets the context and displays ineffective or irrelevant advertisements. It therefore appears that users are not yet turning away from AI platforms because of advertising, but advertisers still face significant challenges in measuring effectiveness and ensuring that AI systems do not generate misleading, inappropriate, or embarrassing promotional content.
