TL;DR: Ads are coming to ChatGPT.
Below: the full story of how we got here, what you'll actually see, and an interactive demo so you can see the future for yourself.
Its an Inside Job
Imagine your attention as a vault.
Not a metaphorical vault, but a real one. The kind with foot-thick walls and a door that takes three people to open. For two years, that vault sat in the middle of the internet with no lock on it. You could walk in whenever you wanted, ask any question, and walk out with exactly what you needed. No toll. No catch. No one following you home to sell you something.
That vault was ChatGPT.
And for a brief, strange window of time, it was the only place online where your curiosity wasn't being monetized.
That window is closing.
In late November, researchers poking around in ChatGPT's Android beta found something they weren't supposed to see. Buried in the code—version 1.2025.329, if you want to check—were four phrases that tell you everything about what's coming: ads feature. bazaar content. search ad. search ads carousel.
The vault is about to get very crowded.
Here's the thing about heists: every crew has a style. And right now, three different crews are circling your attention, each with their own way in.
The Brute: Google
They already own the building. No, they built the building, and they are not bothering with subtlety.
Those AI Overviews you see at the top of your search results? The ones that feel so clean and helpful, synthesizing information so you don't have to click through ten links? Ads now appear above them, below them, and woven directly into the text. You search "why is my pool green," and sandwiched between chlorine tips is a sponsored listing for a pool vacuum.
There's no opt-out. If you're running Google Ads, you're already in whether you wanted to be or not.
And “Don’t be evil” Google is just getting started. Google AI Mode is their full conversational search product, and they are testing ads at every turn of the conversation. Ask about running shoes, see an ad. Ask a follow-up about durability, see another ad. Ask about return policies, ad.
They're also testing something called "agentic checkout," where you tell Google you want a product at a certain price, and it buys it for you automatically when the price drops.
The vault is not just being robbed. It's being systematically dismantled.
The Con Artist: OpenAI
They're smooth, reassuring, making you feel like you're in on it together.
Sam Altman has said publicly that if ChatGPT ever stops giving you its best answer, "trust would fall precipitously." Which sounds noble until you realize what he's actually building: a commission machine.
ChatGPT's Instant Checkout feature earns OpenAI money when you buy something through it. Not when you see an ad but when you buy. The pitch is that this aligns their interests with yours. They only get paid when you're happy.
It's a good pitch. It might even be true.
But you'll never quite know, will you? Every time ChatGPT recommends a product, you'll wonder: is this the best option for me, or the one that pays the best commission?
The Inside Man: Perplexity
They swear the answer itself will never be touched—"the content of the answers you receive will not be influenced by advertisers," Aravind Srinivas has promised—but below that answer, you'll see sponsored follow-up questions.
Brands pay per impression, like a billboard. The loot stays separate from the job.
Whether that promise survives their next funding round is a bet you're making every time you use them.
Pandora’s Box
Here's the thing about heists, though: once one crew gets in, they all do. Google's already inside. Perplexity's rolling out their play now. OpenAI's expected to launch in 2026.
The era of the unlocked vault is ending.
You can still protect yourself. ChatGPT Plus runs twenty dollars a month and Pro is two hundred. Both are expected to stay ad-free. Perplexity Pro will reduce or eliminate the sponsored questions.
But Google doesn't offer a premium escape hatch. Everyone sees ads. There is no escape from the big ‘G’.
The crews are inside. The only question left is what they'll take.
The Four Ways In
Who's Actually Working for You?
The business model determines whose interests the AI serves. ChatGPT earns commissions when you buy (incentivized to make you happy). Google earns when brands bid highest (incentivized to maximize ad revenue). Perplexity earns per impression (incentivized to keep answers clean and grow audience).
| Platform | Revenue Model | Your Experience | Trust Alignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Commission on purchases | Recommendations optimized for satisfaction | High |
| Auction-based bidding | Highest bidders get premium placement | Medium | |
| Perplexity | CPM (pay per impression) | AI answers independent from ads | High |
See It For Yourself
The Vault Is Open
The crews are inside. The only move left is deciding whether you're paying rent or paying attention.
