DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said he was “surprised” by OpenAI’s move to test ads in its AI chatbot during an interview with Axios at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Hassabis noted that DeepMind is evaluating advertising “very carefully” and has no current plans to introduce ads in its Gemini AI assistant.
Hassabis highlighted the differences between AI assistants and traditional search engines, emphasizing that chatbots are designed to act as helpful personal assistants. Users may perceive ads as intrusive if integrated into these conversational experiences. He cited past backlash, such as reactions to Amazon’s attempts to add ads to Alexa, and OpenAI’s recent removal of app suggestions in ChatGPT after users found them disruptive.
While OpenAI’s testing targets free-tier users to offset infrastructure and energy costs, Hassabis said DeepMind is focused on building trust and providing a useful experience. Gemini’s new AI Mode personalization, which draws on Gmail and Photos to tailor responses, reflects a broader trend of companies exploring AI productivity and assistant features without monetizing user interactions directly.
OpenAI’s move to monetize ChatGPT may also be influenced by rising compute costs and investor pressure for returns, underscoring the financial drivers behind the decision to introduce ads.
