ChatGPT users are up in arms over what seems like advertisements appearing in their conversations — while OpenAI disputes that the messages are advertisements at all.
Even users who shell out $200 per month for a Pro subscription say they’re seeing suggestions for apps or stores that may not actually be ads, but feel like it.
Here’s one example, in which ChatGPT suggests the Peloton app — in a chat that’s unrelated to the exercise equipment brand.
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An OpenAI employee responded quickly to the viral tweet. “Thanks for flagging. This is not an ad (there’s no financial component),” wrote Daniel McAuley, who works on the data team at OpenAI.
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“It’s only a suggestion to install Peloton’s app. But the lack of relevancy makes it a bad/confusing experience. We’re iterating on the suggestions and UX, trying to make sure they’re awesome.”
Users on Reddit and elsewhere have also complained about so-called “app suggestions” … that aren’t technically ads.
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While these suggestions may not technically be ads, there have also been indications that ChatGPT could integrate straightforward advertisements soon — although when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a “code red” for the company, he suggested this would mean delaying the ad rollout.
As AI companies with massive valuations and a huge burn rate scramble to make money, it seems the era of an ad-free chatbot might be reaching its end.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
