Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis just threw shade at OpenAI's monetization playbook. Speaking at Davos this week, the AI leader said he's "surprised" OpenAI moved so quickly to introduce ads into ChatGPT, revealing a stark strategic divide between the two AI giants on how to monetize chatbot experiences without destroying user trust. The comments come days after OpenAI announced it would start testing ads for its 800 million weekly users who don't pay for subscriptions.
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis isn't mincing words about OpenAI's latest monetization gambit. In an interview with Axios at Davos, the AI pioneer said he's "a little bit surprised" that OpenAI has already moved to introduce advertising within ChatGPT - a decision that could fundamentally reshape how millions of users interact with AI assistants.
The timing of Hassabis's critique is pointed. Just last Friday, OpenAI announced it would begin testing ads as a way to generate additional revenue from the portion of ChatGPT's 800 million weekly active users who don't have paid subscriptions. For a company burning through cash on infrastructure that tripled to 1.9GW in 2025 and facing mounting energy costs, the ad pivot might seem inevitable. But Hassabis thinks OpenAI is making a mistake.
"I mean, look, ads, there's nothing wrong with ads - they funded much of the consumer internet. And if done well, they can be useful," Hassabis told Axios, offering a diplomatic opening before driving his point home. "But in the realm of assistants, and if you think of the chatbot as an assistant that's meant to be helpful - and ideally, in my mind, as they become more powerful, the kind of technology that works for you as the individual - there is a question about how ads fit into that model? You want to have trust in your assistant, so how does that work?"
