Perplexity got ads
Perplexity AI has started inserting sponsored prompts and results into its interface, prompting debate over whether ad-supported models are compatible with trustworthy, high-quality AI search. Commenters weigh the financial realities of running large models—subscription uptake, investor subsidies, and price pressure from big players like Microsoft and Google—against the privacy, UX, and enshittification risks of targeted advertising. Some point to paid, ad-free alternatives and local models as better alignments of incentives, while others argue that most users will always choose “free with ads,” making some form of advertising effectively inevitable.
Monetization Pressure & Business Models
- Many see ads as inevitable: LLM companies burn huge amounts of cash; subscriptions alone may not cover costs, especially with “winner-take-all” and nation‑state–backed competition.
- Others argue ads are a sign the product isn’t sustainably valuable without external subsidy.
- Some point to usage-based/API pricing and efficiency (e.g., DeepSeek-style) as alternatives, but question how end-user products then make money.
- There’s debate over whether AI firms should “just” stay small and sustainable vs pursuing hypergrowth.
Ads: Utility vs Harm
- One camp calls ads a “necessary evil” that funds free services like search, video, sports, and social media; most consumers tolerate them.
- The opposing camp sees the ad industry as exploitative “attention pollution,” with weak ROI and heavy psychological manipulation.
Impact on Trust and UX
- Core concern: LLMs were attractive partly because they removed SEO spam and ads; re‑inserting ads undermines that benefit.
- Worries that sponsored prompts (“Why is TurboTax the best…?”) will bias or override truthful answers.
- Unclear what exactly advertisers can influence (only sponsored query, or also sources, wording, and ranking?).
- Fear that future models might embed undisclosed paid bias in answers, making “truth” indistinguishable from marketing.
Paid Tiers, Pricing, and Viability
- Questions whether Perplexity Pro is ad‑free; several comments state ads are present even for paying users, which is seen as “double dipping.”
- Frustration that nearly all AI services land on a $0 / $20-per-month split; some want cheaper, lower‑cap tiers ($3–5), but others note payment processing and support costs make low prices hard.
- Skepticism that enough people will ever pay for search/LLM access to displace ad‑funded models.
Alternatives and User Responses
- Some users say they’ll cancel Perplexity if/when ads appear in results; others already prefer tools like Kagi, Claude, you.com, or local models.
- Kagi is cited as an example of a paid, ad‑free search+LLM product with a small but enthusiastic base, though questions remain about scalability and dependence on other engines.
- A subset argue people who truly care about ads/privacy are a minority; mass-market products will keep optimizing for ad revenue.