All posts tagged: ads

I Asked ChatGPT 500 Questions. Here Are the Ads I Saw Most Often

I Asked ChatGPT 500 Questions. Here Are the Ads I Saw Most Often

Published by skeptic

Free users are costly for OpenAI. One of its biggest challenges throughout this change will be introducing ads at scale, without deteriorating trust or pushing users to competing chatbots, like Google’s Gemini or Anthropic’s Claude. “It’s not going to be easy for ChatGPT to, let’s say, erode the quality of the experience without losing a lot of users,” says Stefano Puntoni, a marketing professor at Wharton who researches generative AI. Neither of OpenAI’s main competitors features sponsored ad buttons in the outputs, though Google recently said it’s not ruling it out. Sometimes, when I asked a question with a name brand in the prompt, like DoorDash or Netflix, the ad below the answer was for one of the company’s direct competitors. Toubia describes this as “poaching” and says this technique is a longtime staple of digital advertising in search engines. “That definitely has been a key engine behind the growth of online advertising,” he says. “It seems like it’s going to be the case also with [large language model] advertising.” Right now, OpenAI is hiring …

The fundamental reason why YouTube with ads isn’t worth it – even if it’s free

The fundamental reason why YouTube with ads isn’t worth it – even if it’s free

Published by skeptic

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways YouTube Premium removes ads and bundles in YouTube Music Long-form videos don’t work well with ads Downloading videos can be problematic when you’re a phone reviewer As a tech writer, I use YouTube as a regular part of my job. I also occasionally listen to some music while I work. Put those things together, and it turns out that YouTube Premium is a wonderful choice for me.  YouTube Premium costs $13.99 per month for individuals (or $139.99 annually), $7.99 for students, and $22.99 for families with up to six users. The latter is the plan I subscribe to, and I share it with my wife and two kids. Also: YouTube Premium cost me 30% extra for months until I noticed – check your plan ASAP YouTube Premium gives you a number of benefits, like removal of ads, offline viewing — though there’s a glitch in that mechanism I’ll discuss later — and the ability to continue playing …

Apple Maps is about to include ads like Google does, and users are furious

Apple Maps is about to include ads like Google does, and users are furious

Published by skeptic

Apple Maps has been ad-free since it launched in 2012. That’s over a decade of navigation without selling you something along the way. But that’s changing. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is preparing to bring advertisements to Apple Maps, with an official announcement expected as soon as this month. The system would work similarly to Google Maps, where retailers and brands bid for sponsored ad spots against search queries, and the highest bidder gets the top result. For a brand that has spent years building a reputation around privacy and not making its users the “product,” the timing is notable. Related Apple Maps’ New Expert Ratings Make It Easier to Find the Best Places to Eat Apple Maps is getting more useful for anyone who likes to eat out. Google is coming for you Here’s what to expect Image by Raghav Sethi Credit: Raghav Sethi/MakeUseOf The experience inside Apple Maps is going to be different. When you search for something like “fast food” or “tea near me,” a sponsored listing will now appear at the top …

Apple to Introduce Ads in Apple Maps as Part of Services Revenue Push

Apple to Introduce Ads in Apple Maps as Part of Services Revenue Push

Published by skeptic

Apple is planning to include ads in Apple Maps search results as soon as this summer, reports Bloomberg. Apple is aiming to earn more money from its services division, and it could announce plans for Maps ads as early as this month. Ads in ‌Apple Maps‌ will be similar to ads in Google Maps. Retailers and brands will be able to bid for ads associated with search categories. Starbucks, for example, might display an ad when someone searches for coffee. Restaurants will be able to bid for search terms, and the highest bidder’s ads will appear at the top of the results for a given term. Apple plans to display ads in the iPhone app, Mac app, iPad app, and on the web. We first started hearing about ads in the Maps app last year, but now the feature is nearing completion. Revenue from ads could make up for current and future changes to the App Store that could limit the money that Apple earns, or from the loss of any search deals with Google …

AI-generated ads are trickling into political campaigns, sparking big worries

AI-generated ads are trickling into political campaigns, sparking big worries

Published by Sam Flores

At least 15 campaign ads featuring AI-generated content have run since November, stoking concerns that the now-ubiquitous technology could cause confusion or even mislead voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. In state, local and federal elections across the country, AI has been everywhere from school board campaigns to governor’s races, used to enhance speech, turn politicians into cartoons or, in one notable case in Massachusetts, mimic a rival politician’s voice. In the state’s gubernatorial race, the campaign of Republican primary candidate Brian Shortsleeve created an AI-generated radio ad that sounds like Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, using Healey’s “voice” to say things she never actually said, including about the state’s economy. The clip does not contain an explicit AI disclaimer, and instead the caption says it’s what her radio ads would sound like “if she was honest.” Shortsleeve’s campaign has also released AI-generated videos depicting Healey as the Grinch and another of her hissing with red eyes, neither of which contained explicit AI disclaimers. Patrick Nelson, Shortsleeve’s communications director, said the campaign uses AI to …

YouTube rolls out unskippable ads – they’re so annoying I’m mulling drastic measures

YouTube rolls out unskippable ads – they’re so annoying I’m mulling drastic measures

Published by skeptic

Anadolu / Contributor/ Anadolu via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways YouTube now has 30-second unskippable ads. The ads only show on televisions for now.  You can remove the ads for just $8 a month.  Have you noticed that the “skip ad” button sometimes disappears on YouTube? You’re not alone. Over the past few weeks, users have been reporting that long, unskippable ads are appearing on YouTube videos when they’re watching on a TV. I noticed it myself a few days ago, did some research, and saw that yes, YouTube has a new ad option that it calls “VRC Non-Skip.”  The ads, which can be 6, 15, or 30 seconds long (Google AI will decide which length is appropriate in which instance), are designed to “ensure your message is delivered in its entirety,” Google says. However, viewers on the receiving end of these ads are using words like unsufferable, miserable, annoying, the final straw, and the breaking point. Also: YouTube TV is offering 12 cheaper channel …

Prediction market ads surge as March Madness betting hits record levels

Prediction market ads surge as March Madness betting hits record levels

Published by skeptic

Legal sports wagering in the United States keeps expanding as the NCAA basketball tournaments approach, but the industry’s main trade group says a new wave of prediction market advertising could complicate oversight and weaken consumer protections. Fresh estimates from the American Gaming Association (AGA) show Americans are on track to legally bet about $3.3 billion on the NCAA Division I Women’s and Men’s Basketball Tournaments this year. The total would represent a 54% jump compared with wagering levels just three years ago, showcasing how quickly regulated sportsbooks have become part of the country’s sports culture during one of the busiest stretches on the calendar. .@AmericanGaming: Prediction market ads surge: Kalshi leads with 5.2B impressions in 2026 as 43% of digital sports betting ads 'lack required responsible gaming messaging' #MarchMadness @RWW pic.twitter.com/ZOarhPs1oH — Suswati Basu (@suswatibasu) March 13, 2026 At the same time, industry analysts say a growing presence from prediction market platforms is beginning to reshape the sports betting ads landscape. “March Madness is the highlight of the college basketball season and fans are gearing …

Google Is Not Ruling Out Ads in Gemini

Google Is Not Ruling Out Ads in Gemini

Published by skeptic

Second is advertiser tools. If you’re a small business, you’re not thinking about all the queries people are going to type in. AI is great at figuring out which keywords to use, what’s the optimal creative, and generating all of that. The third piece is the most nascent: ads in new experiences. The general philosophy we have is to build a great consumer product, then figure out monetization. Because the business is so strong and healthy, that’s a luxury we have. What have you learned from experiments around ads in AI Mode? Ads are always separate from organic results and clearly labeled. If we don’t think any ad is relevant, we don’t show any ads. Probably the biggest principle of all is that ads should be useful. What [ads in AI Mode] have shown is mostly intuitive things. If it’s relevant, a user will click on it. If not, they won’t. At Davos, Demis Hassabis said that Google has no plans to bring ads to Gemini. How are you thinking about it now? The reason …

Undisclosed ads on TikTok skirt ban on profiling minors

Undisclosed ads on TikTok skirt ban on profiling minors

Published by skeptic

European Union laws restrict adverts on TikTok targeting children Sipa US / Alamy The European Union recently introduced strict laws to stop social media platforms from targeting children with personalised advertisements. But a study of TikTok reveals a massive loophole: teens are still being bombarded with highly targeted commercial content disguised as everyday posts. The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) explicitly forbids profiling minors for advertising. However, the legislation defines “advertisements” narrowly, only covering “formal” ads purchased directly through a platform’s own advertising system. It largely ignores influencer marketing and undisclosed promotional videos. To see how this plays out in practice, Sára Soľárová at the Kempelen Institute of Intelligent Technologies in Slovakia and her colleagues deployed sock puppet automated accounts to TikTok, which simulated 16- to 17-year-old teenagers and 20- to 21-year-old adults. The bots were assigned specific interests, such as beauty, fitness or gaming, and were programmed to scroll through TikTok’s algorithmic For You feed for an hour a day over 10 days. “The only way for us as a society to understand social …

GB News hires chief revenue officer to ‘close gap’ between audience and ads

GB News hires chief revenue officer to ‘close gap’ between audience and ads

Published by Sam Flores

GB News chief revenue officer Ross Sergeant. Picture: GB News GB News has hired a chief revenue officer to “close the gap” between its audience growth and take-up of its ad slots by agencies. Ross Sergeant was mostly recently global media director of Allwyn, which operates The National Lottery and other lotteries in Europe and the US. His former roles include global head of media for Japanese brewer Asahi, media manager for the UK and Ireland at spirits company Diageo and a strategy partner at WPP’s media agency Wavemaker. Sergeant said: “In just five years, GB News has reshaped the UK news landscape and built one of the most engaged audiences in the country. That loyalty is extraordinary, and it reflects clear brand positioning, strong editorial identity and a direct relationship with viewers that many media businesses struggle to achieve. “In recent months it has led UK TV news ratings while also delivering record breaking growth across its radio platform. The scale of the audience is no longer a projection. It is proven, measurable and …