ChatGPT started serving ads
Most of the coverage has focused on what that means for OpenAI's revenue model. That's the wrong question.
The right questions are:
When a consumer asks ChatGPT which product to buy — and a sponsored placement appears alongside the answer — does the consumer know the difference between the recommendation and the ad?
And when a brand's competitor is buying that sponsored slot, is the brand even aware it's happening?
Paid search created an entire industry around these questions. Brands spent two decades learning that organic rankings and paid placements are different battlegrounds requiring different strategies. The same dynamic is now opening on AI platforms — faster, and with less transparency about who is buying what.
AIVO Meridian measures brand performance at the AI decision layer. We've been watching this closely.
More to follow.