As 2026 quickly approaches, the world of AI continues to evolve daily, opening up new capabilities through updates and integrating new ways to interact with chatbots.
That said, this week has been firmly focused on the world of advertising within AI chatbots. It all started when $200/month ChatGPT subscribers started noticing “app suggestions” in their conversations.
Ads are inevitable
That phrase sounds reassuring, but it is also accompanied by the unmissable qualification of “current plans.”
That’s where Google’s stance gets interesting. You can say that Gemini is not doing this today, and you are right. You can insist that your chats won’t be used for ads, and that’s true too.
But OpenAI just showed the industry what happens when the business model faces the reality of massive IT bills and multibillion-dollar growth. Eventually something will have to give, even if the company has backed off for now.
AI assistants are quickly becoming the new home for app search, recommendations, and discovery. That’s the exact territory where ads thrive.
And while Gemini might hold its own for now, it’s hard to imagine a future where neither of these platforms explore “suggestions” as part of the chat window, especially when one of the biggest players has already tested the waters.
Gemini in its current form is easy to use, focused and refreshingly interruption-free. But if this week proved anything, it’s that the era of ads in AI assistants is approaching. OpenAI caused it, users reacted exactly as expected, and the rest of the industry is watching closely.
The real question is whether Gemini will remain ad-free forever or simply bide its time. And after this week, it no longer seems like anything is off the table.
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