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AI search startup Perplexity is distancing itself from ads amid fears users won\u2019t trust chatbots with an agenda to upsell. The move highlights an emerging crossroads for the AI industry as the sector\u2019s biggest players hunt for stable sources of income to bankroll massive spending, with giants like OpenAI leaning into ads and others like Anthropic promising to keep them out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThe challenge with ads is that a user would just start doubting everything\u2009.\u2009.\u2009.\u2009which is why we don\u2019t see it as a fruitful thing to focus on right now,\u201d said an unnamed executive cited by the FT<\/em>. Instead, the company will focus on producing something consumers are \u201cwilling to pay for,\u201d in particular business customers and high-powered users like finance professionals, lawyers, doctors, and CEOs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Another executive did not rule out a return to advertising in the future, but said serving ads was \u201cmisaligned with what the users want\u201d and may not be needed for the company to thrive. \u201cWe are in the accuracy business, and the business is giving the truth, the right answers,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The pivot sets Perplexity firmly on the anti-ad side of the industry\u2019s emerging divide over how AI should make money. Some, like Perplexity, are hoping subscriptions will be enough and Anthropic has committed to keeping its chatbot Claude ad-free<\/a>. Others, like OpenAI, have embraced ads, and last week, the company started testing advertising<\/a> for free ChatGPT users. The dispute has moved into the public arena as well, with Anthropic airing attack ads<\/a> clearly targeting ChatGPT at the Super Bowl, which OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called<\/a> \u201cdishonest.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n