Tuesday, February 10

🌟 Today’s Highlights:

• OpenAI has started testing ChatGPT ads

• X is revamping its API pricing

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• 📊 Stat of the Day: 80 million people now use Reddit search every week. (Source: Reddit)

• 💡 Today’s Insight: Is the world ready for AI-generated ads?

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⚡️ Today’s Headlines ⚡️

💬 ChatGPT started testing ads. OpenAI’s first live test of ChatGPT ads places sponsored messages directly inside the app for some users with ads appearing in a clearly labeled section beneath the chat interface rather than inside responses.

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💰 X rolled out new API pricing and added xAI credits. The new pricing structure charges developers for what they use as opposed to a pricy monthly subscription fee to access the data stream, also adding free xAI API credits based on cumulative spend.

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🛑 Meta’s Recurring Marketing Messages API will end this week. The updated approach, going into effect on February 10, changes the permissions that businesses need to send people further messages in an attempt to stop businesses from overdoing it.

💡 Today’s Insight 💡

Is the world ready for AI-generated ads?

🗞 TL;DR - Not to dwell on this year’s big game too much, but I just saw this new stat that 23% of Super Bowl commercials (aka 15 out of 66 ads) featured AI, whether ads featuring AI products like OpenAI and Anthropic or consumer brands like vodka maker Svedka using completely AI-generated ads. While we all know the speed and cost-savings AI can provide, the reactions to the ads have been less than ideal, which begs the question: are consumers ready for AI-generated ads?

💡 Insight - One major problem in the public’s reaction to this year’s AI-related advertisers was a focus on brand differentiation, not product education. For those who eat, sleep, and breathe tech, it’s easy to jump right into these ads and understand how Anthropic’s messaging centering on being ad-free is a cheeky jab at OpenAI’s recent ChatGPT ad testing. But for those outside of this world (say, your Uncle Jimmy), it’s just insider baseball.

According to an iSpot survey, Anthropic’s ad, which seemed to catch fire with tech audiences, scored in the bottom 3% for likeability compared with Super Bowl ads over the past five years. That flop can be attributed to Anthropic’s subpar brand recognition among non-tech consumers – a 2025 S&P Global survey showed 73% of consumers reported using ChatGPT versus just 7% for Claude.

On the topic of AI-generated ads, like Svedka or Artlist, viewers quickly noticed the AI-generated creative, responding to the iSpot survey with words like “weird,” “surreal,” and “WTF.” The ad registered a brand emotional connection of just 7% versus the alcoholic beverage industry norm of 63%.

So, are consumers ready for AI? Maybe. But brands certainly need to tread lightly. Generic “helpful AI” messaging or lazy AI-generated creative is not enough and, honestly, can add fuel to consumers’ skepticism and hesitancy around AI-forward brands. If you want to use AI in production, focus on making technology a message enhancer, not the entire theme. Consumers are increasingly craving humanity, but you don’t have to entirely lose the benefits AI can provide.

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