The coming AI ad storm.

Right now, we’re in this fleeting time before AI has ads—or worse, starts shaping the truth. Today, you can ask an AI for a recipe, and it’ll give you something pulled from the vast internet. But let’s be honest: we know how this story ends. Follow the natural progression of commerce.

Imagine asking for a pancake recipe in the near future. Instead of pulling from the best, most relevant sources, the AI serves you Aunt Jemima pancakes because Aunt Jemima paid to be front and center. Forget the best advice. Forget objectivity. The answers themselves become ads.

And here’s the part that really twists the knife: the idea that you might have to pay for unshaped truth. The free version? A monetized wonderland of answers bought and paid for by whoever has the deepest pockets. The premium version? Maybe closer to the truth—but only for those who can afford it. The irony? The premium truth will still be shaped by subtle incentives we won’t see.

It’s bonkers, and yet, it feels inevitable. It’s the next chapter in the AI life cycle, and we’re standing right at the edge of it.