Battle of the chatbots: Anthropic and OpenAI go head-to-head over ads in their AI products | AI (artificial intelligence)
The Seahawks and Patriots aren’t the only ones preparing for battle.
AI rivals Anthropic and OpenAI have launched an advertising war trying to woo corporate America during one of the biggest entertainment nights of the year.
Ahead of the Super Bowl, Anthropic launched a series of ads harshly targeting its rival.
For the skinny 23-year-old who wants a six-pack Proposal for old and tattered man that should portray a chatbot insoles that “help short kings stand upright” because “confidence isn’t just built in the gym.” And for the man trying to improve communication with his mother: The therapist prescribes In case he can’t fix this relationship, here’s a “mature dating site that connects sensitive pups with roaring cougars.”
All four ads end with the same tagline: “Ads are coming to AI, but not to Claude.” ChatGPT is not explicitly mentioned, but the subtext is clear.
Even Sam Altman laughed. But he also said the ads were “clearly dishonest” before diving into a lengthy critique. in x.
“Our overarching principle regarding advertising says we will not do exactly that; we will never run ads the way Anthropic portrays them,” Altman wrote. “We’re not stupid and we know our users will reject this.”
Altman highlighted OpenAI’s announcement of decision to include ads last monthmakes the product more accessible. “We believe everyone deserves to use AI and are committed to free access,” he wrote. Altman didn’t hesitate to take photos of himself, either. “Anthropic is offering an expensive product to rich people. We’re glad they’re doing it, and so are we, but we also feel strongly that we need to bring AI to the billions of people who can’t pay for subscriptions,” he wrote. (Claude’s a free subscription versionmore.)
ChatGPT’s advertising policy is not yet live but OpenAI continues on its website that the ads will be “separate and clearly labeled” and will not influence the responses users see. The company also claims that it will not share conversations with ChatGPT with advertisers and that it focuses on prioritizing trust, giving users the option to turn off personalization or opt for a paid plan with no ads. The company said the chatbot will initially “show ads whenever there is a question” at the bottom of the answers. relevant sponsored product or service based on your current conversation”.
Altman wasn’t always convinced about incorporating ads into ChatGPT’s business model. In October 2024, he announced the idea “”last resortHowever, in recent years, as OpenAI has invested more heavily in its artificial intelligence infrastructure, the company’s The increase in new subscribers decreased.
Anthropic’s criticism of OpenAI didn’t come out of nowhere: Anthropic was founded by former OpenAI researchers who left over concerns about the company’s direction About AI security. Antropik wrote on February 4: blog post He said Claude will remain ad-free because doing so would prevent the chatbot from being “a truly useful assistant for work and deep thinking.” The company likened open-ended conversations with AI assistants, which are often highly personal or complex, to conversations with a trusted advisor. “Ads appearing in these contexts may feel incongruous and, in many cases, inappropriate,” the company wrote.
Even though OpenAI says it won’t share user data directly with advertisers, targeted advertising more broadly has been criticized for exploiting users’ vulnerabilities. In this case, that concern could extend to users asking ChatGPT questions about their mental and physical health, similar to the issues depicted in Anthropic’s ads. But there is also a chance of targeted advertising can help By reining in the most toxic features of artificial intelligence. Major companies that acquire it may pull back in response to hateful or overt content. Many websites and apps, from Google to Instagram, already have ads, so it might not be a huge change for users.
It’s unclear whether Altman’s attempt to generate more revenue with ads will drive users to ad-free competitors. But Antropik is betting on it.
