I Hate Advertising.
Now It’s Coming for AI
Today I read that ChatGPT is expanding advertising.
My first reaction was not polite.
I hate advertising.
When TiVo came out, I bought one immediately so I could skip commercials.
When I was still using an ad platoform called social media, I kept up with every tool to block ads.
Eventually I just left.
For streaming, I pay for the upgraded tiers to avoid advertising.
Search results filled with ads have always annoyed me. I learned to scroll past the fold to find something real. Something not paid for.
Now advertising is coming to AI results.
And they want me to believe it won’t affect the answers.
Really?
Was I born yesterday?
No.
My first instinct was simple. Fine. I’ll build my own.
I’ve been watching people train models on constrained datasets. Some capped before 1930. It’s actually fascinating. There’s something appealing about narrowing the world instead of letting everything in.
My daughter would probably say this is the moment to stop using AI altogether.
But that’s not where I’ve landed.
Because the reality is this has been useful. Genuinely useful.
Some of the tedious work just goes away.
I can generate a task list for a project board with less typing, organized the way I want it. That matters more than I expected.
I genuinely enjoy working through a problem with my thinking partners.
For transparency, I’ve never actually used ChatGPT.
I use Copilot at work, and I’ve been happy with it.
But I also understand how this goes.
If one product succeeds with advertising, the others will follow. No company leaves that kind of money sitting on the table.
So here’s where I land.
If I’m paying for a subscription, I should be able to turn advertising off.
Not reduced. Not less intrusive. Off.
Anything else breaks the trust model.
And if that line keeps moving, I’ll probably do what I’ve always done.
Start taking back control, one piece at a time.
Alison + Wiggins