When the most trusted interface of our time adopts the logic of advertising, neutrality stops being a feature. It becomes a governance problem. By Prof. Dr. Andreas Fuchs
I’ll be honest, I thought that it would take longer for enshittification to hit the AI landscape. Usually that happens when the industry and the companies are more mature, but then again, everything is moving so fast these days…
I don’t think it will take long for the other AI platform to introduce the same, honestly.
The speed is striking, Julian. Google took 15 years. Facebook a decade. OpenAI needed 20 months. But I wouldn't be so sure everyone follows. Anthropic just made the opposite move a core part of their brand. That split between ad-funded and ad-free AI might become the most important fault line in the industry.
Mmmh yes, but they already amended the messaging of that ad in their Superbowl version. The message "ads are coming to AI but not to Claude" became "there is a time and place for ads, your conversation with AI should not be one of them". I see that as them already softening their stance on it, so we'll see...
I noticed that shift in messaging too. Going from "ads are coming to AI but not to Claude" to "there is a time and place for ads" is a very different statement. You are right to read that as softening. It leaves the door open. And honestly, that is the pattern. First you draw the line. Then you redraw it. Then you explain why crossing it was always the plan. We will see if Anthropic holds. But you are asking exactly the right question. 🦊🎓
I’ll be honest, I thought that it would take longer for enshittification to hit the AI landscape. Usually that happens when the industry and the companies are more mature, but then again, everything is moving so fast these days…
I don’t think it will take long for the other AI platform to introduce the same, honestly.
The speed is striking, Julian. Google took 15 years. Facebook a decade. OpenAI needed 20 months. But I wouldn't be so sure everyone follows. Anthropic just made the opposite move a core part of their brand. That split between ad-funded and ad-free AI might become the most important fault line in the industry.
Mmmh yes, but they already amended the messaging of that ad in their Superbowl version. The message "ads are coming to AI but not to Claude" became "there is a time and place for ads, your conversation with AI should not be one of them". I see that as them already softening their stance on it, so we'll see...
I noticed that shift in messaging too. Going from "ads are coming to AI but not to Claude" to "there is a time and place for ads" is a very different statement. You are right to read that as softening. It leaves the door open. And honestly, that is the pattern. First you draw the line. Then you redraw it. Then you explain why crossing it was always the plan. We will see if Anthropic holds. But you are asking exactly the right question. 🦊🎓