The rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic has burst into the mainstream as Anthropic’s Super Bowl ads promising ad-free AI spark a sharp public backlash from OpenAI, revealing deeper tensions over trust, monetization, and the future of AI brands.

OpenAI is preparing to bring advertisements to ChatGPT, marking a significant departure from its ad-free model. As sponsored content enters conversational AI, questions around user trust, privacy, and platform sustainability take centre stage.