Google search ads used to also convert highly because they were well-targeted and positioned at the point of consumption.

If I'm searching for red widgets, it's a fairly strong indicator I'm way more likely than the average to want to BUY red widgets, so a well-placed ad for redwidgets-cheap.com didn't feel hostile.

Now when it's "I am clearly searching for red widgets but you want to railroad me into blue doohickeys because they're paying more per click", you're one step above a Taboola chumbox.

Google search ads are just highly optimised over now 26 years. There's no reason that OpenAI won't do the same. How successful they are going to be is not clear though.

No clue how it's low effort to point out ads. It's not my fault you and everyone here lacks the product creativity to see the reality that they WILL be embedded in the answers and you will not be able to tell it's an ad. This will result in a literally the best ad system the world has ever seen. They simply need to wait a few years for the general pop to be reliant on them (which if you work with kids surprise they believe everything it says) and then slowly shift this over. They will be the most valuable company in the world bar none.

Do I think it's dystopian and shitty? Yes. Doesn't mean it ain't gonna happen and doesn't mean it's not the right move for the business.

The equivalent model for chatgpt would be randomly getting replies that are generated from a prompt injected with advertiser copy and indicated by a small "sponsored reply" in the corner.

Honestly, having written that out... I'm not sure that's an outcome that's generally avoidable.