Targeting OpenAI, which signaled it would introduce ads to ChatGPT, rival Anthropic released satirical commercials and publicly criticized that "ads are inappropriate in AI conversations."
Anthropic on the 4th (local time) unveiled two ads, 1 minute and 30 seconds long, that aired before and after the Super Bowl, the American football championship game. The two ads exaggerate situations where an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot suddenly inserts commercial ads during a counseling session, emphasizing that ads ruin the context of the conversation.
In one ad, a counselor advises empathy and communication to a man asking how to improve his relationship with his mother, then abruptly recommends a dating site that introduces older women. In another ad, a trainer encourages workouts in response to a question about building a six-pack, then out of the blue pushes height-increasing insoles and even provides a discount code. As the video progresses, it intentionally reveals distortions typical of AI-generated footage, such as exaggerated face and body proportions.
Both ads end with the line, "Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude." Anthropic said it satirized the situation in which ads intrude into AI conversations dealing with personal and sensitive topics.
Anthropic noted, "Many conversations with AI chatbots are highly private and sensitive," adding, "In this context, the appearance of ads not only feels out of place but can feel inappropriate." It argued that when someone reports sleep problems, an ad-free chatbot would focus on analyzing causes, but an ad-based chatbot could distort its answers by factoring in product sales. It also added that even ads displayed separately from the chat window harm a space where people should focus on thinking and work.
Anthropic reaffirmed its no-ads principle, saying, "Including ads in conversations with Claude cannot coexist with the role we aim for as an assistant that supports deep thinking and work."
According to the industry, this year's Super Bowl ad rate exceeds $8 million for 30 seconds. Anthropic's move to stress a no-ads message while spending a massive amount is seen as a strategy to secure user trust by differentiating itself from OpenAI. OpenAI said last month it plans to test ads for ChatGPT's free and low-cost plans.