Overview
- Anthropic aired Super Bowl LX spots declaring “Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude,” using skits where a chatbot interrupts advice to pitch products.
- OpenAI says it is testing clearly labeled ads for adult users on free and lower-cost ChatGPT tiers in the U.S., keeping Plus, Pro and Enterprise ad-free and excluding sensitive topics.
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called Anthropic’s depiction “deceptive,” saying ads will not influence responses and casting the tests as a way to preserve free access.
- Anthropic reinforced its stance by updating Claude’s homepage to promise “ad-free chats,” emphasizing a trust-focused alternative.
- Both companies bought Super Bowl airtime—OpenAI to promote its Codex coding tool—and remain unprofitable as they compete for users and investors, with ad-measurement tests reporting negative reactions to Anthropic’s spot.