AI search is changing how people discover products, and advertising will be changing with it.

I received an email from OpenAI this week inviting me to create my first ChatGPT ad.

We all knew it was coming, yet it felt weird.

I’ll admit, I’m conflicted.

As a user, I enjoy getting straightforward answers without wondering whether a sponsored result affected the recommendation.

As a marketer, I also understand that advertising funds ecosystems, helps small businesses get discovered, and introduces people to products they genuinely should know about.

It appears we’re seeing the next step, like it or not.

OpenAI has announced ChatGPT Ads for businesses, and reports suggest the company is building the infrastructure for a vastly broader advertising platform.

At the same time, Yelp just licensed its reviews, photos, and local business data to OpenAI, enabling ChatGPT to provide richer local recommendations and even connect users directly with businesses through tools like “Request a Quote.”

The goal is targeting folks like you and me while we’re actively making decisions.

That’s a totally different moment than someone scrolling social media, and closer to Google Ads.

It raises a BIG question for marketers.

If AI can understand exactly what someone is trying to accomplish, will advertising get more useful… or just more annoying and pervasive?

What‘s your take? Hit reply and let me in on it.

Would you welcome carefully targeted ads inside AI conversations if they legit helped you discover better products and services, or would they diminish the experience no matter what?

This is one more example of how product discovery is evolving. If you’d like help creating and marketing products people feel compelled to buy, the product marketing consultants at Graphos Product can help.