> OpenAI has disabled a feature in ChatGPT that suggested third-party applications [...] “There are no live tests for ads – any screenshots you’ve seen are either not real or not ads,” Mr Turley wrote.

Here's what people were seeing: https://x.com/Yuchenj_UW/status/1995357492713570735

Looks pretty clear-cut to me - that's an advert for peloton.

And someone who decompiled a recent version of the chatgpt android app https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/artificial-intelligenc... found new classes like 'com.openai.feature.ads.data.AdTarget' and 'com.openai.feature.ads.data.SearchAdsCarousel'

That peloton received the advertising "free with your purchase of platform services" doesn't mean it's not an advert.

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semi-extrinsic 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

Of the evidence presented here I am mostly shocked that Peloton is still a thing. The last time I heard about them was that cringeworthy ad in pre-Covid times. I thought they were the Juiceroo of fitness equipment.

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calmworm 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

Why did you think that? They have a multiple products and a high quality content service many are still trying emulate.

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semi-extrinsic 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

Probably mainly because it doesn't seem to exist outside of the US, and I live in Europe. Only hear about products like that when shit's hitting the fan. From reading the wikipedia page, almost kind of impressive they are still trucking on: 70% drop from the IPO price (95% drop from peak) and a number of recalls and accidents including one child dead.

	▲	calmworm 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		I see. Stock pricing, especially IPO levels, is a poor indicator of almost anything concrete nowadays, unfortunately. I was highly skeptical at first (early years) but it is a quality product and service. Comparing to Juiceroo is inaccurate.

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KetoManx64 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

There's enough of a population out there that just either don't care about the price hikes, the fact that your bike gets disabled if it doesn't have internet, or straight up bricks itself if you try to use it with a third party service, that they seem to be able to still be in business.

	▲	PunchyHamster 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		Don't care or don't realize? It's not like they are putting "we can brick it" in marketing information...

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2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

[deleted]

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orionsbelt 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It’s advertising a ChatGPT feature (and admittedly, also helps advertise Peloton); namely that you can connect your ChatGPT account to Peloton and query Peloton. I personally find this a very helpful feature, and think they should be advertising this in some manner within the app, as otherwise, people will have no idea the features now exist.

This is separate from the android app findings which I suspect is OpenAI working to launch true ads - ie advertising non-chatGPT features in exchange for payments from brands.

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bigyabai 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

Just so you know, "vertical integration" and "annoying advertisement" are not mutually exclusive.

I learned that from trying to use Apple Music to handle my local library. Never again.

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roxolotl 2 days ago | parent [-]

Did you happen to find a solution? I'm dealing with this issue now. I genuinely miss 2008 itunes at this point

	▲	bigyabai 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		I'm using quodlibet here in the Big '25: https://quodlibet.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

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michaelt 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> It’s advertising

I'm glad to hear we're in agreement.

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jeremyjh 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Bullshit. This is an Ad, full stop. Its completely out of context from the chat conversation.

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nialv7 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> "There are no live tests for ads"

Do they really think we would just believe whatever they say? Do they think we don't have the ability to think for ourselves. The utter disrespect...

	▲	paradox460 2 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		They're selling an AI. Of course they don't want their customers to think
	▲	clickety_clack 2 days ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		I hate this “don’t worry about ads, we have strategically committed to ads, and we’ve hired a whole team, who are building the ad system, and they are now embedded in key areas of the business so we can’t change course without massive disruption, but the tests for the ads aren’t live yet, so why worry about ads?”.
	▲	2 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		[deleted]