New Delhi, Jan 24 (NationPress) The technology powerhouse OpenAI has allegedly revealed intentions to roll out advertisements within ChatGPT across the United States. This initiative will see ads appear in the free version and the budget-friendly Go subscription, with Pro, Business, and Enterprise users being excluded from this change.

According to various reports, OpenAI assured that ads will be distinctly separated from chatbot replies, will not impact the responses, and emphasized that user conversations will not be sold.

The firm also committed to providing users with the option to disable personalized ads and stated that ads would not be displayed to individuals under 18 or in relation to “sensitive” subjects like health and politics. This announcement has elicited criticism and concern from several users and experts who doubt the effectiveness of these voluntary protections once advertising becomes a fundamental aspect of the business model.

Industry analysts have pointed out that social media platforms have followed a similar trajectory, where targeted advertising transformed services to maximize engagement, ultimately compromising user privacy.

While OpenAI proposed to refrain from displaying ads “around sensitive or regulated topics such as health, mental health, or politics,” observers have noted a lack of clarity regarding what constitutes “sensitive” and how terms like “health” will be defined.

As large-scale AI systems are expensive to develop and operate, with OpenAI projected to incur losses of $115 billion over the next five years, analysts believe that advertising represents the most scalable revenue model. They highlighted that ad models incentivize user engagement, potentially leading to content that may be misleading or harmful.

An alternative to private AI companies could be a publicly funded AI initiative, akin to Apertus in Switzerland, which was developed through universities and the national supercomputing center. This system is open source, compliant with European AI regulations, and devoid of advertisements.

If OpenAI, often touted as a “super assistant,” were to place tailored ads regarding products, lifestyle decisions, finances, or political views, these could have a more profound impact than typical ads encountered while browsing. Experts in the industry suggest that such practices could blur the distinction between advice and manipulation.

aar/na