If you're a heavy ChatGPT user in the free tier then you might want to enjoy it while it lasts, as a new 'dystopian' feature is on the way that has left many people mourning the popular AI chatbot.
While it has plenty of competition from many of the world's biggest tech companies, OpenAI's ChatGPT has remained largely the most popular AI tool since its release in November 2022, and continues to be the software of choice for millions across the globe.
Some of the most dedicated users opt to pay for Pro subscriptions, allowing them to unlock exclusive features that enhance their overall experience, but the vast majority of ChatGPT's rapidly growing user base doesn't pay a thing.
While that lack of any monetary requirement to access the chatbot doesn't seem like it's going away any time soon, new reports do appear to suggest that you'll soon be paying for the tool in a very different way, and it's left many enraged at the rumored changes.
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As reported by The Information, OpenAI appears to be preparing to introduce ads for ChatGPT's free users, taking a leaf out of Meta's playbook by additionally utilizing each person's chat memory to personalize the products that you're served.
This is seemingly still just in the 'consideration' phase at the moment and nothing is entirely set in stone, but the mere suggestion has rightfully already caused many to 'mourn' the loss of a version of ChatGPT without ads, and it could affect usage significantly in the future.
Anyone that's aware of the immense importance of data on the internet will have seen these changes coming from a mile off – even before Meta introduced ads of its own – as your information and interests are far more valuable to companies and advertisers than any monthly fee could provide.
Tim Berners-Lee, the man who created the internet, recently lamented that while the world wide web remains free in most cases, the people using it "have become the product," and what better way to access data than an AI tool that people talk to as if it were their best friend.
"It's way worse than you think," writes one comment on Reddit in response to the news. "The ads are not explicit but the chats can influence you toward products organically."
This suggestion would certainly be ideal for advertisers in a world where consumers have become savvy to explicit advertising, as having ChatGPT subtly suggest paid-for products in the middle of a conversation would be far more effective – and far more dystopian – than an average pop-up or separate ad.
Another commenter argued that "others will do this too eventually, where else do you think revenue is supposed to come from," adding that "AI is a very hot item right now with plenty of users, there's big money in those ads."
Some appear to be fine with the change as long as it doesn't affect the paid Pro tiers that they're likely already subscribed to, but as we've seen with numerous streaming services, it's likely only a matter of time before you still have to pay for ads, making the cost of removing them even more expensive.