Subj : Chatbot or adbot? Microsoft could bring adverts to ChatGPT-powere To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Thu Mar 30 2023 11:30:03 Chatbot or adbot? Microsoft could bring adverts to ChatGPT-powered Bing AI Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2023 10:07:35 +0000 Description: Microsoft appears hellbent on cramming adverts into everything, and people are going to get sick of this. FULL STORY ====================================================================== Dont look now, but Microsoft is exploring the idea of pushing adverts with its Bing AI chatbot. The ChatGPT-powered AI hasnt been around for long, but has already achieved a measure of success driving more traffic to the Bing search engine , which is one of Microsofts main aims with the chatbot, naturally. However, another target Microsoft is now sighting up is the addition of advertising to monetize the chatbot in a more concrete way, as evidenced by a freshly written post on the Bing blog site . The content makes for worrying reading though its a predictable avenue for Microsoft to assess, and we should note that this is very much early days still. The blog post talks about exploring the use of ads and that its mulling over some early ideas, so we shouldnt get too carried away at this point. The ideas Microsoft is toying with include making it so that if the user hovers over a link, itll pop up a panel containing further links to a publishers content. And also placing a rich caption of Microsoft Start licensed content next to a chat answer, meaning driving traffic to these Microsoft Start partners (and sharing ad revenue with that partner). Microsoft further states: Were also exploring placing ads in the chat experience to share the ad revenue with partners whose content contributed to the chat response. Analysis: A case of greed before need? Oh dear, oh dear. And another oh dear for good measure. Microsoft seems to be losing sight of the purpose of its ChatGPT-fueled AI here. Its supposed to be a useful tool, a smart addition to Bing to let people search in a new way, and do a whole lot more to help them besides, with a bunch of other tricks up its sleeve (from knocking up artwork or poetry, to providing swift aid to gamers , kind of). So, Bing AI is all about helping folks, right? Well, nobody believes Microsoft is doing this out of the goodness of its own heart. Of course theres an agenda, and thats to push Bing search to compete better with the highly dominant Google. Fair enough: Bing needs some kind of secret weapon, you cant argue with that, and finally, it looks like the AI chatbot might be the answer. Google is even worried, having rushed its rival AI, Bard, onto the stage, fumbling its lines in the process (and not getting nearly the same amount of attention as Bing AI, which is already well underway with updates being applied regularly by Microsoft). But a measure of early success appears to have left Microsoft with dollar signs flashing before its eyes, perhaps blinding it to Bings original purpose. So now, we have Microsoft thinking about getting greedy ( theres evidence of this with the companys attitude elsewhere regarding the AI, too ). Bing traffic isnt enough in the way of monetization, perhaps, so why not do adverts, too? Well tell you why not because people are tired of you trying to jam adverts into everything, Microsoft. Like your online services, or the Windows 11 interface, over and over, with the latest example coming earlier this week in the form of (veiled) ads for the Start menu . And now the Bing chatbot? Were not surprised, really, but we are getting fed up with the condition Microsoft seems to suffer from, the main symptom of which is a sickening and relentless compulsion to cram in adverts with its products and services. Lets call it ad nauseum, and lets further hope a cure can be found. Via Neowin ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/chatbot-or-adbot-microsoft-could-bring-adverts- to-chatgpt-powered-bing-ai --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .