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I built a demo of what AI chat will look like when it's “free” and ad-supported

99helpers.com

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Re: I built a demo of what AI chat will look like when it's “free” and ad-supported

#81
post #76

It’s strange to see extreme amount of hysteria on this. There’s enough market competition to not allow this. If ChatGPT is doing it then just move to Claude. If all are doing it then surely opensource models are a good alternative. But i think leaning into the hysteria provides some comfort

It's interesting to contrast this take with the opinions expressed on an earlier thread about OpenAI's moat (or lack thereof). Several people pointed to Google Search as an example of "user count as moat", and an explanation of its continued dominance despite a results page dominated by "sponsored" results. Presumably the same reasoning would apply here.

Assuming chatgpt has moat, what kind of moat would apply that it is so crucial that it won't allow people to move away from it?

Re: I built a demo of what AI chat will look like when it's “free” and ad-supported

#82
post #73
post #2

We all know the pattern: something useful launches → it becomes popular → it needs to make money → ads everywhere. AI chat is heading the same way. So I built a fully interactive demo that shows what an ad-supported AI chatbot could actually look like: https://99helpers.com/tools/ad-supported-chat It includes every monetization pattern you can think of: - Pre-chat interstitials (like YouTube pre-rolls, but for chat)…

Is this avoidable? These things cost money to run. Who pays if not with ads? There will I’m sure be the ability to pay and not have ads just like there is on streaming platforms, podcasts, etc. Or should there be tax supported free AI?

And as we've seen with streaming it'll have ads anyway despite the fact that you're paying.

Re: I built a demo of what AI chat will look like when it's “free” and ad-supported

#83
post #79

It’s strange to see extreme amount of hysteria on this. There’s enough market competition to not allow this. If ChatGPT is doing it then just move to Claude. If all are doing it then surely opensource models are a good alternative. But i think leaning into the hysteria provides some comfort

We didn't see the majority switch from Google to Duckduckgo because of ads or privacy... Being the "default" brings network effects that is hard to switch away.

there was no good way to pay for google to remove ads. do you not think that the primary reason was that people just weren't bothered by ads?

in contrast to youtube where people do pay to remove ads - like me.

Re: I built a demo of what AI chat will look like when it's “free” and ad-supported

#84
post #28

You forgot the part where they charge you to get rid of the ads but then the ads come back anyway so you're paying to be the product.

This take is prevalent but not really true.

You can subsidize the cost of a full subscription by having ads.

I know that society at large is mostly hopeless, but here on HN we generally have the mental firepower to comprehend "It's a sliding payment scale from no ads to all ads"

Edit: You guys are welcome to be upset by this, but if you think it's wrong, please correct me. Ideally without using the one counter example of cable TV in the 90's. Monopolies bring bad behaviors.

Re: I built a demo of what AI chat will look like when it's “free” and ad-supported

#86
post #2

We all know the pattern: something useful launches → it becomes popular → it needs to make money → ads everywhere. AI chat is heading the same way. So I built a fully interactive demo that shows what an ad-supported AI chatbot could actually look like: https://99helpers.com/tools/ad-supported-chat It includes every monetization pattern you can think of: - Pre-chat interstitials (like YouTube pre-rolls, but for chat)…

Maybe people will start running local models on their phones to avoid this, i've seen a couple of apps for android that do just that.

Re: I built a demo of what AI chat will look like when it's “free” and ad-supported

#88

Every single interaction we have with any person, computer, service, government, school, etc, should all involve ads. Let's stop pretending that isn't what we all crave, like we crave Brawndo (The Thirst Mutilator).

Ouch! My Balls!

Re: I built a demo of what AI chat will look like when it's “free” and ad-supported

#89
Ads when done properly are done in a way that is beneficial to the user and still provides a good user experience. There is a reason that google.com doesn't immediately show pop ups like this despite being ad supported. That is how you lose users to a competitor.

Re: I built a demo of what AI chat will look like when it's “free” and ad-supported

#90
post #58
post #2

We all know the pattern: something useful launches → it becomes popular → it needs to make money → ads everywhere. AI chat is heading the same way. So I built a fully interactive demo that shows what an ad-supported AI chatbot could actually look like: https://99helpers.com/tools/ad-supported-chat It includes every monetization pattern you can think of: - Pre-chat interstitials (like YouTube pre-rolls, but for chat)…

Now file the patents.

That'd be the most philanthropic use of software patents ever made in human history
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