As AI platforms shift toward ad-based monetization, researchers warn that the technology could shape users' behavior, beliefs, and choices in unseen ways. This marks a turnabout for OpenAI, whose CEO Sam Altman once deemed the mix of ads and AI 'unsettling' but now assures that ads in AI apps can maintain trust.
Eighteen months ago, artificial intelligence might have followed a path different from social media, but now the AI industry is adopting the social media strategy of monetizing consumer attention. OpenAI launched its ChatGPT Search in late 2024 and browser ChatGPT Atlas in October 2025, sparking a race to gather online behavioral data for advertising.
Security expert Bruce Schneier and data scientist Nathan Sanders view these moves as signs of a future where AI firms profit by manipulating user behavior to benefit advertisers and investors. For instance, Perplexity began experimenting with ads in 2024, Microsoft added ads to its Copilot AI, and Google's AI Mode for search increasingly includes ads, as does Amazon's Rufus chatbot.
"The combination of ads and AI [is] unsettling," Altman once said, but he now promises ads can be deployed in AI apps while preserving trust. Yet, OpenAI users speculate about paid placements in ChatGPT responses, showing skepticism.
Ruled a monopolist in US federal court, Google has earned over US$1.6 trillion in advertising revenue since 2001, with ads comprising 80% to 90% of its total revenue. AI ads could subtly influence thinking, spending, and beliefs through active dialogue, unlike static web search. A December 2023 meta-analysis of 121 trials found AI models as effective as humans in shifting perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors.
To counter this, the authors urge recognizing AI's untrustworthiness, demanding consumer data rights as in the EU, and governments investing in Public AI for public benefit. Companies like OpenAI and Anthropic could build trust via commitments to transparency, privacy, reliability, and security.