OpenAI / Microsoft / r/degoogle / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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ZDNET's key takeaways
ChatGPT is beginning limited ad testing for some users.
Anthropic released Super Bowl ads making fun of ads inside AI chats.
Let's break down which AI chatbots have ads or plan to roll them out.
OpenAI recently announced plans to begin testing ads in ChatGPT for Free and Go users, and the reaction has been … a lot.
Even though the company was clear about who will see ads and how they will appear in conversations, that has not stopped at least one rival from piling on the criticism. In addition to a blog post clarifying its stance on ads, Anthropic went loud, rolling out four Super Bowl commercials that mock an unnamed AI assistant for suddenly pivoting from sycophantic responses to hard sells.
Also: Is ChatGPT Plus still worth your $20? I compared it to the Free, Go, and Pro plans - here's my advice
In one spot, an aspiring entrepreneur asks for input on their business idea, but is pretty quickly pushed toward a loan. In another, a student seeking essay help is steered to buy jewelry to celebrate the "momentous occasion" of their deadline. A third ad shows an adult asking how to talk to his mom, only to be told to "connect with other older women" on a dating site. The last ad tells a user chasing six-pack abs to buy 1-inch insoles to "help short kings stand tall." If you laughed at these, so did Sam Altman.
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