Google Gemini stays ad-free as DeepMind CEO questions OpenAI's rush to introduce ChatGPT ads
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Google DeepMind CEO is 'surprised' OpenAI is rushing forward with ads in ChatGPT
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said he's "surprised" that OpenAI has already moved to introduce ads within its AI chatbot. In an interview with Axios at Davos, the AI leader was responding to a question about using ads to monetize AI services, saying the idea is something that the team at
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Google DeepMind CEO reiterates 'no plans' for Gemini ads, surprised ChatGPT added them 'so early'
Google is doubling down on its commitment to keeping Gemini ad-free for the foreseeable future, as ChatGPT prepares to introduce a new revenue stream at the user's expense. According to an interview with Alex Heath, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis reiterated that the company doesn't have "any
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'We don't have any plans to do ads at the moment' -- DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis says Gemini will stay ad‑free as ChatGPT begins inserting ads into conversations
Google doubled down on keeping ads out of its Gemini AI assistant this week. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said in an interview with Alex Heath that the company has "no plans" to incorporate ads in Gemini. "We don't have any plans to do [ads] at the moment," he said. "I think we're focusing
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Exclusive: DeepMind CEO "surprised" OpenAI moved so fast on ads
Why it matters: Hassabis, a Nobel laureate and one of the world's most influential AI leaders, said Google's Gemini assistant currently has "no plans" to incorporate ads -- and cautioned that rushing advertising into AI assistants could undermine user trust. * OpenAI announced last week that it
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Google says there aren't 'any plans' to put ads in Gemini
Worried about seeing a bunch of ads in your favorite AI assistant? If you're using Google Gemini, you probably won't -- at least not in the foreseeable future. During an interview in Davos, Switzerland, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis told Alex Heath that the company doesn't have "any plans" to
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Google Just Promised No Ads in Gemini (for Now)
The move makes sense, when you compare OpenAI's profits to Google's. A week after OpenAI admitted it will soon start testing ads in ChatGPT, Google has promised that it's not planning to inject ads into Gemini anytime soon. The statement was given to journalist Alex Heath during the World
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Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis calls ChatGPT ads 'premature and takes subtle swipe at Sam Altman, reveals plans for Gemini
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis was surprised on rival ChatGPT announcement that it will begin testing ads soon, calling it a premature move. His remarks come at a time when legendary investors have warned about potential financial risks at OpenAI. Demis Hassabis also said the tech giant has no
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Google DeepMind CEO responds to OpenAI testing ads in ChatGPT: Here's what he said
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has weighed in on the approach and made it clear that Gemini won't be showing ads anytime soon. OpenAI recently announced that it would soon start testing ads in ChatGPT, showing sponsored content to both free users and Go subscribers in the US. Speaking at the
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Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis expressed surprise at OpenAI's decision to introduce ads in ChatGPT, stating Google has no plans for Gemini ads. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Hassabis emphasized the need to think carefully about how advertising fits into AI assistants meant to work for users, raising concerns about user trust and the quality of the experience.
Google DeepMind CEO Challenges OpenAI's Advertising Strategy
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has publicly questioned OpenAI's rapid move to introduce ads in ChatGPT, stating he's "surprised" the company acted "so early" on monetization through advertising
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. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Hassabis emphasized that Google has no plans for Gemini ads and stressed his team isn't feeling pressure to make "knee-jerk decisions" about integrating advertising into AI assistants4
. The remarks came shortly after OpenAI announced it would begin testing AI ads within ChatGPT's free tier and low-cost Go subscription, targeting a portion of its 800 million weekly active users who don't pay for premium access1
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Source: Digit
The Trust Equation in AI Chatbots
Hassabis drew a sharp distinction between how AI ads function compared to traditional search advertising, raising fundamental questions about user trust in AI assistant technology
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. "You want to have trust in your assistant, so how does that work?" he questioned, noting that chatbots are meant to become helpful digital assistants that know about users and work on their behalf1
. He explained that if users want a "true universal assistant" that's personal and trustworthy, they need reassurance that recommendations are "genuinely good for you and unbiased and untainted"3
. The Google DeepMind CEO acknowledged that while there's "nothing wrong with ads" that funded much of the consumer internet, mixing advertising with AI assistants "could work, but you just have to be very careful about how that's done"2
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Source: Axios
Consumer Backlash and User Experience Concerns
The debate over AI ads isn't theoretical. When OpenAI tested app suggestions within ChatGPT conversations last month, consumer backlash was swift and severe
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. Users complained that suggestions felt intrusive and degraded the quality of the user experience, forcing OpenAI to turn off the feature. The company claimed these weren't actually ads since they had "no financial component," but that distinction missed the point entirely1
. Similar patterns emerged with Amazon's earlier attempts to infuse ads into its Alexa experience, where customers rejected what felt like a personal shopper hawking products rather than a genuine assistant1
.Related Stories
Financial Pressures and Strategic Positioning
Hassabis's comments hint at the different financial positions of Google and OpenAI. "Maybe they feel they need to make more revenue," he noted, subtly acknowledging the cost pressures facing AI companies. Google generated $175 trillion in ad revenue in 2023, giving it the financial backing to keep Google Gemini running without immediate monetization concerns
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. Gemini isn't Google's main moneymaker—advertising in Search, YouTube, Maps, and other services already brings in tens of billions of dollars3
. OpenAI, which lacks a sprawling ad empire or hardware division, faces massive cloud bills and infrastructure costs that demand alternative revenue streams3
. Sam Altman previously called ads a "last resort" for OpenAI, and recent reports describe how he internally declared "code red" to ensure ChatGPT doesn't fall behind competitors5
.The Future of AI Assistant Monetization
This marks the second time Google has publicly committed to keeping Gemini ad-free. In December 2025, Google's VP of Global Ads, Dan Taylor, stated "there are no ads in the Gemini app and there are no current plans to change that," responding to an AdWeek article claiming Google planned to bring ads to the AI assistant
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. However, neither Hassabis nor other Google executives have declared a philosophical ban on ads forever. Instead, they've framed the decision around timing, user intent, and careful consideration3
. Hassabis told Axios his team is thinking "very carefully" about ads and will monitor how users respond to OpenAI's changes4
. Meanwhile, Google is focusing on personalization features for Gemini, allowing users to opt into having the AI assistant tap into Gmail and Photos for tailored responses, positioning itself as the assistant that works for users rather than advertisers1
. Hassabis also warned that institutions and governments aren't ready for the transformative impact of artificial general intelligence, suggesting the advertising debate is just one aspect of broader challenges ahead4
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Source: 9to5Google
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