OpenAI Reportedly Planning to Make ChatGPT "Prioritize" Advertisers in Conversation

[highplainsdem]

Source: Futurism

The plans are far from final, though they give us a look at what soon may become the norm for ChatGPT. One conversation between OpenAI staffers, for example, involved giving sponsored chatbot results “preferential treatment” over non-sponsored results, anonymous employees told The Information.

This could look like a user asking how much ibuprofen to take for a headache receiving a promoted ad for Advil in the chatbot’s response. Meanwhile, actual results on correct dosage may be brushed to the side, or buried under a mountain of ad text (just think about how many sponsored search results you have to scroll past during a typical Google search these days.)

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News that OpenAI was experimenting with cramming commercials into ChatGPT came in early December, after a software sleuth uncovered a dozen lines of code in the chatbot’s beta app for Android referencing things like “feature ads” and “search ads carousel.”

“As ChatGPT becomes more capable and widely used, we’re looking at ways to continue offering more intelligence to everyone,” an OpenAI spokesperson told The Information. “As part of this, we’re exploring what ads in our product could look like. People have a trusted relationship with ChatGPT, and any approach would be designed to respect that trust.”

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Read more: https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/openai-chatgpt-sponsored-ads

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Welcome to your trusted ad-dispensing chatbot.

Given how sycophantic it usually is, it'll probably tell you how smart you are after you order from the sponsor.

[underpants]

1. What Google did years ago as we all know.

[SheltieLover]

2. Shocking

[ChicagoTeamster]

3. But Google, and Oracle, and so many companies have built AI processing data centers and need a return on that investment

It's one thing to invest in the companies that make the AI chips because they're bringing in revenue. But a lot of other tech companies have invested hundreds of millions if not billions in building AI data centers and they need to recoup those expenses. This has created an AI bubble. So, AI service providers who invested in AI data centers need to recoup those costs. They are going to be passing those costs to service consumers. To avoid charging even more per token, when you use ChatGPT you're probably going to be getting bombarded with advertising content in the responses to your prompts. Advertisers will of course be paying for that. It's not that hard for them to do considering that there are already LLMs used for training data by ecommerce companies to create upselling and cross-selling suggestions to present to users shopping on an eCommerce website.

[erronis]

4. There are lots of alternate non-google, non-bing, non-ai search engines and web interfaces

Of course, most of us go with what was installed when we opened up our new box (smart phone, tablet, laptop, desktop.)

[Blackjackdavey]

22. I'd love some examples

Duck Duck Go as one example is nothing but sales now too. The internet, for all intents and purposes, seems to have disappeared and no one seems to be talking about it. Weird.

[erronis]

23. A couple of quick answers: Kagi.com and SearX

I use Kagi (https://kagi.com) almost exclusively because it tells you the sources it's using, doesn't use AI-generated slop (unless you explicitly ask for the summaries), doesn't collect any personal information or retain your search history. There is a free tier but I pay $10/month for the joy of its results.

SearX is an open-source engine that allows you to add feeds. The source maintenance has recently been discontinued but there is a very active group of users who continually work to keep it alive and fed. https://github.com/searxng/searxng

Another interesting (to me) search engine model is Yacy (https://yacy.net/) which can be set up for collaborative searches using multiple shared data sources. It also works very well as a private search engine (only looking at your personal content) or a much broader perspective if wanted. Self-hosted so some development skills are needed.

I'm sure there are quite a few more. Every year or so I do another broad sweep to see if something interesting pops up.

Many people don't realize that there's a wonderful way to search within your browser (depending?). Double-click on an interesting word (or highlight a phrase) and right-click in the selected area. You should be given an option to "Search with: *****". When selecting this, the results should show up in a new tab or window. Quick and easy.

[IcyPeas]

5. The internet has jumped the shark.

Its a shame.

[snot]

6. I fear there's an inverse relationship between AI use and IQ;

and this will make it worse.

[OC375]

7. Makes sense to me.

A.I. is ultimately about return on investment for those investing in A.I. Ad revenue is a good as any other revenue. They'll take it.

It's not about helping you plan a trip, making art for your self published book, or optimizing your side hustle audience.

This is a feature, not a design flaw.

[Roy Rolling]

8. Free Speech

The best free speech money can buy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. So, commercial spam.

I'm sure we've all served on DU juries that flag a reply saying "yes, that's a big problem, I find that a certain link I don't want to show up openly is a very good solution".

[ruet]

10. No Way!

[hatrack]

11. So, the world-saving Big Shiny Technology Win Race Line Go Up Thing is just another ad pump . . .

What a surprise.

At least when you are subjected to ads on the screen at the gas pump, you're actually doing something necessary by filling up your car.

[highplainsdem]

12. And it's an ad pump with way more info about you that advertisers can exploit, and AI that can

instantly customize ads by using that info.

[IronLionZion]

13. Make Intelligence Real Again

[James48]

14. We are all being assimilated.

[highplainsdem]

18. I have seen AI enthusiasts post that "Resistance is futile." Hell, no, it isn't...

[LudwigPastorius]

15. "Step right up and see Doctor ChatGPT's Miracle Tonic!"

"Do you suffer from rheumatism? Lumbago? Acute, chronic, sciatic, neurologic, or inflammatory pain? Well, I have here the genuine article that cures, headaches, neuralgia, earache, toothaches, backaches, swellings, sprains, sore chest, swelling of the throats, contracted chords and muscles, anxieties, and ravaged nerves, stiff joints, wrenches, dislocations, cuts and bruises! And, it adds vitality and vigor to the healthy man."

[mdbl]

16. They have to start monetizing it better to justify the over-bloated stock market

The ideas will probably get even dumber as we go.

[hunter]

17. As I've said previously, this is how we achieve Idiocracy.

Whenever we are thirsty, as detected by our "smart" watches, our AI companions will be telling us to buy Brawndo, because Brawndo's got electrolytes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiocracy

[Prairie Gates]

19. Tech Bro Hellscape

Everything is getting worse since we've turned society over to these computer shitheads and market fundamentalists.

[Martin68]

20. They can count on me to never have anything to do with ChatGPT.

[usonian]

21. Enshittification is the way of the Tech Bro Sociopaths.